Welcome to the Neighborhood
by Crestego
Summary: Warning: Contains Spoilers for the game. A decade after Frisk destroyed the barrier and allowed the monster's to roam free, her new family found a place to call home. With most homes, however, are rather... interesting neighbors. Rated T for swearing and possible violence/sexual encounters. Placed after True Pacifist Playthrough.
1. Welcome Home!

Author's Note: Hey guys! So i've never actually played the game UnderTale myself, but i've watched all three of the routes that people could take for the game. i absolutely fell in LOVE with the characters, Papyrus being my particular favorite (Sans being right behind him). I've also decided that Frisk would be a woman for my story... i'd leave frisk gender ambiguous, but that'd be difficult to keep track of. Anyway, i hope you wall enjoy!

Disclaimer: Other than Dave and Tahoma, I do not own the franchise, game Undertale. All copyright and ownership go to Toby Fox.

* * *

The world that surrounded the Almighty Papyrus was better than ever this morning. The blue birds outside of his window sung their beautiful songs, the sun shown so brightly that the window reflected it's blinding mark on humanity directly into his sockets...and he loved it! Over ten years have passes since the monsters that he had known all of his life were given the freedoms they've always dreamed of. Many that had lived in Snowdin missed the chill in the air from their previous home, so they had moved much farther away. He currently resided in one of the smaller cities in the country that the local humans called America, specifically in a place called 'California'...by the time Toriel tried to go into further detail, Sans had already fallen asleep and Papyrus grew too bored to listen further. He could care less where he lived! So long as it was on the surface, he was as happy as he could be!

Speaking of his lazy brother, he awoke to find no trace of him at home. It was considerably bigger than his last home from a decade ago, having four bedrooms to share instead of just the meager two. They were filled with his current roommates, which included his brother Sans. Toriel started living here with the little human Frisk since the beginning. Though come to think of it, she wasn't so little anymore! Toriel had no more that she could teach the previous little hero, so Frisk decided to join the local college...while at the same time maintaning her role as the peacekeeper between her kind and his! Papyrus shook off the thoughts before drifting off into nostalgia, now was not the time! Today was going to be a great day! According to Sans, they were going to have brand new neighbors moving in next door! He felt impatient, hardly keeping himself still while he entered the kitchen; only to be greeted by the lovely Goat-woman.

"Why good morning Papyrus! You're looking exceptionally delighted today! Hmhmhm, is it the new neighbors moving next door?" Her giggles warmed the room around them, the mere sound of her voice sounded heavenly in the morning. Even Papyrus had to admit that every morning without that voice was a pretty lousy morning. He let out a loud cackle to disturb the peace that she had created.

"You bet! I, the great Papryus, will make sure that they feel welcome to our town! Who better to show them just how amazing being our neighbors can be? I don't see Sans anywhere, so this will be a perfect opportunity to make the best impression! I'm off, see you tonight Toriel!" A paw reached out for him shoulder, preventing his escape. The tall skeleton withheld his groan of annoyance. He wanted to impress them! He wanted to do it now! Her smile kept in place while she reached into their large fridge. Thanks to her stay at his home, the cold container never smelled of the molded spaghetti that used to make his old kitchen smell rancid. Toriel presented him with a very tempting Butterscotch Pie, baked last night after they finished the last one off. The magic that flowed through his body gave him a sense of smell, despite being a skeleton. The aroma charmed him, begged him to grab a slice and to dig in. Giving him the pie, he had to resist the urge and pay attention to the baker's words.

"Now now don't you dare lay a finger in this pie! I made it to help you impress the neighbors, after all. Now go on ahead, but be careful not to drop the pie on your way there!" Feeling determined, he made a quick (yet careful) exit out of the kitchen, and out of the house.

* * *

The house was just as pleasant on the outside as it was on the inside. It was painted a light beige, the bright blue roofing made their home stand out among st the rest. Their mailbox was a skeleton head, and various decorations such as lawn gnomes and flowers made it look like a picture from a coloring book. Papyrus always enjoyed their Christmas decorations best, because Santa Claus was always right next to the window of his bedroom; he could always fall asleep with his gifts in mind around the holiday. Their new neighbors resided right across the street from them, the building a similar beige, but with black roofing and no decorations in sight. The grass was greener on the other side though, watering was a chore that Papyrus himself had always slacked off on. Due to this being a residential neighborhood, no cars could be seen in sight; discounting the ones kept on their driveways. His really cool and super awesome race car was stored safely in their garage, careful to receive no scratches from the elements.

As he walked up to their porch and bypassed the U-Haul workers returning to their vehicles, he felt a creep of nervousness crawling up his spine. His previous attempts at befriending his neighbors did not bode well, at all actually. Most either screamed in terror at a walking skeleton, or couldn't stand the sight of his awesomeness in any way. He asked Sans multiple times why they didn't like him, why they couldn't be friends... His older brother always just laughed it off.

'WHY DO THEY ALWAYS LEAVE? I mean, I know that i'm awesome, but is it THAT blinding to them? I can help them at least TRY to be as amazing as I am, but they never give me the chance.' Sans laid a calm hand on his brother's head, able to due to the tall skeleton laying his head against his lap on their couch.

'Papyrus, both Humans and Monsters are in a weird loop right now. Humans didn't trust monsters for awhile, and still don't. Other monsters like us? ...Well, they're trying to find their place in this world too. Just give it a little bit Pap, they'll come around when they're ready. Heheh.'

Shaking the conversation from his mind and taking a large gulp, he used his glove finger to press their doorbell. It didn't take long for their front door to open, revealing a much smaller monster in his wake. He almost looked like one of their lawn gnomes! Very short, covered in white hair from head to toe. The only aspect of his body that stood out from the fluff was his large, golden eyes. Papyrus almost dropped his pie, he wanted to just cuddle him like a stuffed toy! With a large smile, he crouched to his height and held out the pie.

"Why hello there, new neighbor! My name is Papyrus, and I want to welcome you to our awesome neighborhood. i know that you guys will have an amazing time here, considering someone as brilliant as me is living next door! Our roommate Toriel baked you this delicious pie!" Ever since Sans caught him taking credit for her pies, he's learned that taking credit for other people's work had SEVER consequences. He's kicked this habit though, keeping his large smile while the creature looked him up and down. A snarl escaped his lips, pushing the pie away while he prepared to slam the door.

"Wait Stop! Dave, he's being nice, there's no reason to reject such a wonderful gift!" The woman before him was much taller than Dave, nearly Papyru's height! He contemplated standing back up while the little monster threw some grunts and gnarls in her direction. It sounded familiar... Papyrus guessed that it was another monster language that he never bothered to learn.

"You know that's not fair Dave. We came here to have a better life right? Well rejecting someone's kindness is a terrible way to start. If you're uncomfortable, let ME answer the door; i'd understand." Her tone of voice went from stern to soft in a heartbeat, which reminded the listener of Toriel herself. He could never understand how someone could change their mood so quickly! With a large huff, Dave left into the depths of their new home. Using this as permission to stand up, Papyrus happily handed her the pie; taking a moment to look at whom he was speaking with. Her ears were large, VERY large. They stood up like the cats that he's seen on t.v, with a tail to match. Her eyes were a dark brown, nearly as big as his eye sockets. Despite her ears, her face appeared doglike, a little pink nose plastered on her light-brown fur. To top it off was the sharp horns that grew out of her skull; Papyrus normally didn't feel pain, but they looked like they would hurt if he tried to touch them. She owned two pairs of arms with only one pair of legs, one pair being used for pie-holding. Her top-right arm reached out for a gentle shake, which he took with glee. This was the first person from this neighborhood, human or monster, to be nice to him!

"Hi, my name is Tahoma. Sorry about how Dave behaved towards you... we just moved into this town. We've only lived in places where people haven't been nearly as friendly, so he tends to keep his guard up. Why don't you come inside and enjoy this pie with me? Everything got moved into place this morning, though it's a little barren." Papyrus had the impulse to push her out of the way just to see what their house looked like, this was so exciting! Rejecting the impulse, he wondered just how different it was than his home. With a smile, she led him inside and closed the door.


	2. New Friends!

Authors Note: ...hi! Shout out to lanelovestories for my first review! I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All ownership and copyright go to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

"Wow, this looks just like my house! Well, except for our great furniture." Like the outside, much of the inside was nearly identical to his place. The walls were a light blue, unlike theirs...which was a light green. The floors were recently replaced with pinewood, a small rug in front of the door didn't do much for the naked surface beneath him. There wasn't much for decorations either, with the exception of a large portrait of his new neighbors hung up in the middle of it all. He'll have to help them decorate their place... who'd be better for such a daring task as interior decorating? He was a master at it! Tahoma took the pie into their large kitchen. It was so empty... it made it look even larger than his back at home. She came out with a slice for each of them, a warm smile was delivered along with the pie while they took their seats at their dining room table. No time to waste on such an amazing pie, Papyrus dug right in while Tahoma took a moment to admire the butterscotch flavoring. Papyrus only looked at her joy, he couldn't wait to see her face when she tried his famous spaghetti! There's no way anything else could beat it, not even the pie.

"MY my!~ Toriel was her name, right? She makes a mean pie! ...Y'know, i'm really glad that you showed up here today. It makes us feel so much more comfortable knowing that we've got a friendly... eh, person living next door." Her small giggle only warmed the skeletons bones. His magnificence was rubbing off onto her, and she was noticing!

"Why of course you would be! After all, I AM the great Papyrus! Now that you're my new friend, I MUST know where you came from! Most of the monsters from the Underground split up awhile ago... and I don't quite remember seeing your face. " Her maw lowered for a second, but she perked up again.

"Dave and I actually came from a pretty far place... New York city, I think it was called. Well, now that I think about it, it's not so far away compared to different countries. Heh, we first moved there after the barrier was lifted. We loved living there for awhile...but then things started to get tense for us monsters." Tense? How could humans hate on the monsters, once they came from the underground? Papyrus WAS the mascot, after all! He made a fantastic impression on the humans when he first arrived to the surface. Their screams of joy when he first showed his face was a definite sign that humans were waiting for them for a long, long time.

"WHAT? Why would there be any humans that didn't like monsters? Humans love us! Especially myself, but everyone else too." His response made the nearby Dave scoff in disgust, taking his leave from the dining table to their upstairs bedroom. Tahoma could only sigh while she kept the smile deliveries coming.

"Oh don't mind him, he's pretty bitter about our experiences in the old city. Y'see Papyrus, it wasn't just humans being sour about monsters living in the city. In truth, monsters got upset at other monsters. At first, it was just monsters fighting over small, stupid things. What they felt was a better way to do things, living spaces, even what you could keep as pets! Hell, someone tried to make a pet out of ol' Dave there at some point. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy about it... Bwahaha. Anyway, there was just too much social conflict for us to want to stay; so we decided to move here. Dave figured the farther the better, and he was the one paying for the plane tickets." She looked solemn for a moment, which made her skeleton companion worry for a minute. Being trapped in the Underground for all of his life, he couldn't ever imagine the Overworld sucking in any way! He stood up, only to offer his hand at the sitting monster before him.

"Well, no changing that now! I, the Great Papyrus, am inviting you to try my famous spaghetti tonight! This place is MUCH better than whatever city you came from, so only the best for my new friends. I shall see you at dinnertime... whenever that'll be." Papyrus made a quick exit to their door to prepare for the evening ahead, his enthusiasm was infectious!

* * *

The woman began to wash her dishes, the furry ball of fluff finally came down the stairs to greet her at their... particular guest. His growls and grunts were indeed part of a language that some monsters used. Not many understood it, with very few speaking it these days.

"That guy was a WEIRDO kid, why the hell did you invite him in?" His grunts were aggressive, but she didn't need his tone to let her know that he was pissed. He's always been the head of their household for as long as she could remember; he was never too kind to strangers from the get-go.

"Oh c'mon Dave, he was so kind! He might've been a little weird sure, but why be unnecessarily rude? Like I told you before, that's not fair to do to somebody!" His kitten-like face scrunched up in a snarl, which happens in most arguments that they would have.

"Listen Tahoma, I know that you're a big girl now, alright? I should know, I raised you from a little shit to now. But lets be real here, that guy was...creepy. There's something off about him. I don't know what it was, but I already don't trust him. He was FAR too nice... actually, come to think of it, there's probably something missing in his noggin. He did nothing but brag about himself while he was here, in OUR new home; then offers us a spaghetti dinner? It doesn't sit right with me." By the time he finished his sh-peel, Tahoma had washed, dried, and put away their dishes. She turned to face him, while he sat on the counter. He decided to put on his eye-patch again... he hated taking it off, but abhorred it when people saw his disfigurement; thus taking it off whenever someone new showed their face.

"Look Dave, I respect that you're trying to be cautious... and it's good that you are. But we can't just keep running away from people; humans OR monsters alike. We shouldn't be so scared that we turn into living hermits, and we'll have to interact with others eventually. We both have jobs, right? Well neither ONE of those jobs are faced alone. Besides, he WAS the one that gave us the invitation to his place, right? If things go hay-wire, or get too WEIRD for you, we can just leave. C'mon Dave, at least give this a try... for me?" She's had many years to practice her puppy-dog eyes, and has pinned it down to perfection. The furry gremlin before her could never resist such a face, and gave a large, over-exaggerated sigh in defeat.

"Fuuuuuck, you have GOT to stop making that face kid! Okay okay, fine! We'll hit up their place tonight. But if things go wrong, or shit gets broken, OR if that creep hits on you... well, you know who to blame." With a slight wink, he hopped off and away to his bedroom. She let out a sigh of relief while she contemplated on her outfit for tonight. Dave had stopped interracting with their world if it didn't involve work, so she hoped that maybe... just MAYBE, they could finally make some friends..

Friends that won't abandon them if things turn for the worst.

* * *

Authors Note: I've only ever lived in the Western States of the United States, so I have no idea what the culture is like in New York City. Considering how largely populated it is, I figured it would be a safe go-to when it came to complicated relations between humans and monsters... I don't mean to offend anyone otherwise.


	3. Is it Christmas Already?

Authors Note: I'm not very punny... but I do hope to bring Sans some justice in this story!

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All copyright/ownership go to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

"Oh my, that's wonderful news Papyrus~ I'll head down to the store to pick up the ingredients for your special dish right now." Papyrus had just entered their door not two minutes after the invite, and he already had both Toriel and Sans excited for their new guests. They haven't had anyone new show up since Frisk was in public school; not many of her friends remained for their crazy antics for long. The pair rushed out of the door while Sans sat on their couch, turning on their television to relax on one of the few days that he's had off. Working multiple jobs always occupied the skeleton's time, before and after moving up to the surface. The work did pay fully off, with the knowledge that his family can live comfortably in their own home. He figured that Undyne and Alphys would be the next duo to hear of their new event, so he was far from surprised when they came straight over to 'decorate' their place. Papyrus wasn't the only one that cared about first impressions.

"Can't believe scatter-brain actually got himself a date! HAHA, we'll have to give him a lot of help for it to get pulled off." Undyne began to put in her all with her decorations. Red and green began to paint everything; all of the figurines that she's found over the years were being set up on just the dining table! Alphys huffed while trying to follow her lead. Even after many years living with her partner, she could never keep up with her pace...in anything! After an hour had passed, Sans looked back in awe at the job they had done...it looked like Christmas! He let out a hearty laugh, only to receive an intense stare from Undyne.

"WHAT? This is the best decorating anyone's EVER seen, it's sure to keep Papyrus's new broad around." Alphys looked at Sans nervously for his response.

"Y'know that it's not a date night, right? He's just excited that we've got new neighbors next door. You could say that he's... eh, I've got nothing." The duo looked at him in disbelief, Sans couldn't make a pun? What the hell was wrong with him? The green-scaled woman figured that he was just having an off day, and tried to argue.

"Well even if they ARE just new neighbors, don't'cha think Papyrus might be interested in this new girl? He seemed a little TOO excited to try and impress her." Alphys threw a thumbs up in her direction. Of course Alphys would try to convince her of them eventually becoming a couple... she never changed from being a sucker to what she called 'OTP's'. Sans shook his head from left to right in slow motion, pausing his program to look them both in the eyes.

"Look, have you ever remembered a time that Papyrus wasn't excited? Even before he came up on the surface, he's always loved having new friends... remember how Frisk was one of the first? He treated her like the closest friend that he's ever had from the start! This situation isn't any different, just that they're kind enough to give him a chance. You remember how the last few neighbors acted, right?" All three began to have the flashbacks of his previous 'encounters' with the neighbors before them. The ones that lived here previously moved shortly after they arrived...being the first monsters to move here, it surprised no one (with the exception of San's younger brother) that they didn't want to be around their 'kind'. Then both human and monsters tried to move there... they all were surprised at Papyrus's enthusiasm when he first tried to introduce them to their new place. Some bought it at first, but then saw how spontaneous their lives could be. One couple in particular moved here for peace and quite, but immediately moved after papyrus decided to throw a huge party for everyone. It was a great party...but that couple didn't think so. Needless to say, their luck with getting new neighbors to stay was very slim. Alphys almost looked like she wanted to cry, but kept her chin up.

"W-well, let's at least make sure that they feel welcome here. This is the closest Papyrus has ever gotten to getting a neighbor to stay here after a few hours... so let's give it our all! Right Undyne?" Her green beau quickly picked her up for a bear hug, swinging her around in large circles.

"HAH! I knew that confidence training would get you somewhere! Yeah, we'll make sure that they stay this time! Bone-brain and goat-girl are taking too long at that store, let's follow them to make sure that he didn't accidentally kill them before tonight. If he has, i'll re-kill him!" The yellow reptile had to run at full pace to keep up with Undyne as she ran through the door, both excitedly panting to meet up with the future 'lovebird'. Sans could only chuckle at himself while he continued watching his show. The game shows that humans had were actually pretty damn good, though he preferred Mettaton and his shows all the more. Something about that nut seemed genuine...hard to pick up on any human-made shows these days. Suddenly his left eye turned it's bright blue, his skeletal hand hung up in the air as he caught a certain someone watching in...

"AUuuugh! Who the hell are you freaks! How the hell can you do this?!" It was Dave looking in, the entire time he stood there and watched. Being the size of a stuffed bear, it's no wonder that it took even Sans a few minutes to notice his presence. He brought him close to his face, though he wouldn't dare put him in his view of his favorite t.v. show, Mettaton and the gaming fanatics!

"Say, aren't you the one FREAKing out? C'mon man, unless you're the weird sort of character, dinner time isn't for another, doo doo doo, three hours. Why don't you give us the gratitude of waiting for when you're INVITED to spy on us, hmm?" The skeleton never did appreciate spies... though he did find it kind of ironic, in a way. He knew that he himself would probably do the same thing, but at least he wouldn't get caught out in such a simple spot. Behind their potted plant? A little too obvious for his white-fur coating. The black of the eye-patch against his skin didn't give him an lee-way to secrecy either.

"AYe aye aye, look man! I'm not the one holding me up by powerful magic, don't you think that gives me more questions than answers? How can you understand me huh, you punk?! I'm speaking a language that's been abandoned for over a century! Also, since when could monsters use their magics like this, eh? Not even me, and I've been around for longer than your lifetime times ten! So at least give me the decency, like an old man, and put me the fuck down before I knock some sense into your dipshit skull!"

"Wow, you should be glad that my brother isn't here. He's not, uh, into that kind of language. He's got a weird sense for these things, I bet he could tell when you need to wash your mouth out with soap! Now, I don't reaaally care how old you are, you WERE the one to try and sneak your ears into our conversation early. So, as a youngster who wants more eh, 'advice' from an old man, how the hell did you get in here, and why?" No amount of Dave's resisting could unbind him from San's blue magic. He's had too much practice perfecting his art... especially with Papyrus being a faithful and patient dummy for it. He let out an impatient sigh while five minutes passed of Dave's struggling and curses, until he finally decided to give in to his request.

"OKAY, okay, you win you little brat! Tahoma and I didn't come from a very...friendly place. She didn't even notice it at first, but I knew straight away that the people there were animals! We got robbed, she got stabbed at one point! A young girl, stabbed for no REASON! The excuse that bastard gave? 'She was in the way of my apartment, little bitch wouldn't leave me alone!' ...That was when we just entered the surface. Moving to the big city wasn't cakes and ice-cream either. I taught her from home, told her that no-one could be trusted.. heh, but damn that little brat for not trusting me. Things got bad there man, I moved our shit out of there once they decided to make our building a 'no monster' zone. I can't trust anyone anymore, not with Tahoma still around to care for. I won't take any risks dammit! That brother of yours... he's too friendly. How could a monster be that nice to people he just met? Does he not know how the world works? You can't trust anyone!" To his surprise, San's let out a big, VERY hearty laugh.

"What the fuck is so funny to you? You sadistic son of a bitch?"

"Woah there old man, calm your horses. I can understand your touching story... at first, I didn't think you could trust anyone on the surface either. Hell, I didn't trust many monsters in the Underground either, back when that was still a thing. My brother? ...Well, you could call him gullible all you want. He just has a good heart, wants to make friends. How could you blame anyone for wanting that? If anything, he's just more blunt about it. Trust me when I say, he couldn't fight anyone if he wanted to. He even wanted to be part of the Royal Guard for the underground! ...But he'd be a smiling pile of bones before he hurt a thing. Now me, you should be afraid of me. I won't tolerate someone bad-mouthing my brother in my own place! Do we understand each other, Dave?" His golden eyes grew wide in shock, a little terror also had shown through.

"..Wait, how the hell did you know my name?"

"I get around. Now, so long as you don't hurt anyone, we're good. Now I think you get the point I tried to make, so don't let Tahoma in on the little conversation we just had, okay? No need to worry anyone over our... differences. Also, you might wanna wash your mouth out. I wasn't kidding when I said that Papyrus has a weird sense when it comes to anything inappropriate." Finally dispelling the blue that warped the little monster, he quietly walked away... his snarls and grunts sounded like curses again, but he wasn't going to hinder him any further. When he opened the door... well, Sans couldn't resist himself.

"Don't worry about a thing, Dave. I don't have a BONE to pick with you!" His scream of annoyance assured Sans that he was gonna have a good time tonight...


	4. A Night to Remember!

Authors Note: I'm pretty excited about my story gaining traction, i'll do my best to not disappoint!

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All copyright/ownership go to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

"THERE you are. Where the hell were you guys for the past two hours?" Sans felt a little relieved after Dave decided to leave their place, because not more than ten minutes later, Undyne and Alphys received a phonecall that Toriel and Papyrus would be there shortly. They all started to get a little worried...if there's one thing that Toriel and the skeleton had in common, it's being on time. Both were carrying four large bags each, filled to the brim with store-bought goodies. Even though they spent most of the day shopping, Papyrus was incredibly upbeat. Not even his enthusiasm, however, could hide the tired look on Toriel's face. She looked worried... that didn't sit well with Sans. They both could tell that their adventure would be another topic for just the two of them.

"I'm a little exausted, the trip took much longer than expected. Our guests should be over any time now, so you should get started Papyrus. Oh my! What lovely decorations you two~" She was tempted to let out a baaaashful cheer, but held it in while she set everything in their kitchen. Their entire floor looked like a mash between Christmas and Thanksgiving! Several un-carved pumpkins hung around their mantle-pieces and tables; the ornaments that would normally be hung on the tree could be seen over their windowsill, including the ribbons! The table was their finest peace, with many Santa, reindeer, and soothing candles taking the spotlight. She nodded Sans over her chambers, discussing her emotional aliment would be better sooner than later. Following her lead, he stood up and began walking while Undyne took charge of the spaghetti dinner. Papyrus had become much more skilled in the area of cooking... but she wasn't willing to take any chances...

* * *

"So what's up, Toriel? Something's bothering you, on what's gonna be a pretty fun night." He sat his pelvis onto her comfy recliner, resting his tired bones on the ottoman in front of him. It was well worn, many years multiple people have sit in this chair for one of her 'talks'. Whether that be Frisk getting the rare scolding or talk of the 'birds of the bee's', Papyrus for the same exact reasons, or even Undyne and Alphys about their relationship and how they (separately) fit into their current society. He bet that he's sat here the most, however; most of their private conversations were shared in the privacy of her own room. A room, with which, he dug the decore. It was simple, but the warm colors of red and orange nearly lulled him to sleep, just by zoning out. Her dresser to the left, her desk right in front of him, and her bed to the right brought the whole room together. If he reached out his arm by just a hair, he could feel the leaves of the "water sausage" brush against him. The goat woman before him sat unto the desk-chair across from him, sighing in discontent.

"Oh Sans, I shouldn't worry you so much! It's just... well..." Sans knew the routine by heart. Toriel was such a kind soul... even to this day, she still had a hard time letting others know just how she felt. She never enjoyed bumming other people out because something was bothering her. She was very content for the most part, so anything that hindered her happy mood could be recognized by a single-person in a mile-radius. The skeleton could only wait while she gathered the words, which graced him a few moments after her pause.

"We ended up meeting Asgore on the way to the store. Papyrus is such a kind soul... he convinced him to come along on our shopping adventure; then walked us through the local park before our stop home. I can't deny that it was a little awkward... painfully awkward, for both that man and I." Sans wasn't out of the woods just yet, there was something that went on between them that bothered her. He decided to pry further.

"Heh, sounds like something my brother would do. But why does it bother you? I thought you guys made up after we came up from the Underground.." Everyone knew that Asgore and their sweet Toriel still didn't get along well. Despite Papyrus and even Frisk's attempts at getting the duo back together...well, it wasn't going to happen. Too much had seperated them while they were all stuck beneath the surface, enough to keep them divorced for the rest of their lives. She looked away for a moment, only to look him right in the eye.

"We had, many years ago. He has made mistakes... such mistakes that I can never forgive him for. However... I felt a sense of guilt, especially throughout the park. He has not been a part of our family, which I solely prevented just because I had no will to forgive.. hmhm, I should have taken that lesson from Frisk a long time ago. I apologized to him, but made it clear that I still do not trust him, and that we will never get back together. But... w-what stuck me in the heart, was that he's found another beau since then. She sounds like such a kind woman... I guess I just felt some jealousy over it." Toriel, jealous? Sans withheld his laugh, not wanting to insult his dear friend.

"Oh, was that all? Look Toriel, you've got a loving family here. Asgore has seen us in-between the times, it was his choice to not move in with us OR be more involved. Trust me when I say, almost every kind of event we've ever had, Papyrus invited him. You know just as well as I do that he's been around, he never disappeared forever. Besides, I wouldn't feel too bad about it. After all, such a beautiful lady like you doesn't deserve such an aaaaaaaaaass." His goat impression was so bad, it nearly ruined the pun. It didn't matter though, her giggles told her that it was more than enough.

"Y-You're right, Sans. I'm worrying too much about such a silly thing. I should be happy that he found someone else to be happy with. Besides, i'm the one that got the better end of the boney stick." She's upset, so her pun-game was a little weaker than normal. He took it though, both laughing while she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and headed back downstairs. They started to smell smoke... not a good sign.

* * *

"BONEHEAD! How the hell did you burn the pie!?" The taller skeleton wanted to crawl in a corner, Undyne hasn't been this angry for the past month and a half. He hadn't burned anything for close to a year now! He had a solid record going! The oven was nearly lit aflame with the amount of smoke emitting from it; the pie barely came out of the oven before it set the whole house on fire. Luckily Sans deactivated the smoke alarm awhile ago, for occasions like these. The last time the fire-department came in, they were NOT happy with how the fire was gone before they even arrived. Whatever was left of the pie was cooling down already, though the same couldn't be said for the noodle dish that was also in there.

"Pies need to be baked, right? How could I, the GREAT PAPYRUS, burn such a beautiful pie?" While he stood there in terror at the next punishment that was to come next, the nerdy yellow monster tapped on Undyne's shoulder. Most would get a punch in the face from touching Undyne without verbal permission, but Alphys was always the exception.

"Hold on Undyne, it was an accident. See here? It was already pre-baked. He must've thought that it was READY to BE baked. The noodles caught fire when the pie did. It's okay though, Toriel told me that she baked two pies last night. No need to worry about it!" Ever since she's spent more time with her partner and the ever famous Frisk, her confidence took a turn for the better. She doesn't even stutter as much as she used to! She gently handed it to the flaming woman, only for her to sigh in agreement. She grabbed the terrified pie-burner in a hug.

"Aw damn, that was partially my fault too. Sorry Papyrus! You didn't burn the spaghetti at least, so they won't. even. know! Now let's clean up this place before they get here, GIVE IT YOUR ALL!" Her commanding screech kept both Papyrus and Alphys on their toes, each swapping between doing the dirty dishes and setting them out. Luckily it didn't take long, considering that most of their meal was already pre-made and from the store. Undyne was much too aggressive for handling the dishes, so she took part by mopping the floors while Alphys began to carefully set the table together. She may have been terrible when it came to keeping her own room clean, but setting up tables to look nice was a specialty! Deciding to save the candles for their arrival, she set them on the island that stood in the middle of their kitchen, perfecting the look of the dining table with a simple red rose in it's blue vase. She felt proud, and confident that their guests would be the most impressed. The kitchen cleaned up, the food ready to go, everything looking like an art-piece!

"Everything's ready guys! Papyrus, why don't you go get the neighbors and bring them in? We don't want the food to get cold!" Toriel and Sans both looked back to see Papyrus excitedly respond to Alphy's request, running full speed from the kitchen... the freshly cleaned kitchen. The newly mopped kitchen that Undyne uses WAY too much cleaner to wipe it with... It was at that moment that she looked in horror and realized, she'd fucked up.

* * *

"Alright, take a deeeep breath Tahoma... Huuuuuu, Haaaaaaaa. Okay, are we ready to knock?" She wore a broad smile, looking at her disgruntled companion. At her request, he decided to wear his jean-vest and black pants, Tahoma adored herself with a brown vest, black T-shirt, and blue jeans. Neither one really wore shoes...both had pads that were so roughed up, not even nails could penetrate through. She reached out her hand to knock, only to see a woman walk up towards the door. She gave a bright smirk at her direction, offering her hand for a shake.

"Oh hi there, do you live here too?" Her nod and return of the shake had her excited, even more so when she offered the same deal to Dave; he even acknowledged her and took the shake! A monster that lived with a human? It was so rare, she'd have to ask how that came about. The woman had a feeling that it would be an amazing tale. Frisk gestured her way inside, opening the door and letting the guests in first...

* * *

"WAIT, carefu-" Alphy's warning came in much too late, Papyrus had already slipped and was landing face-first into the dining table. Many underestimated the weight of the skeleton; surely they're lighter than feathers...right? Well, Papyrus would be the exception if such a thing were true. His weight and force of the fall caused the dining table to crumble beneath him. All of their glass shattered across the floor, a few knives and forks stuck into his bones, one of which lodged itself into his eye-socket. The food flung onto the walls around him, staining the light green paint a multitude of colors. To top his head off, the precious, precious plate of spaghetti covered his entire skull. Undyne could only feel the weird (Yet not foreign) sensation of wanting to run to his aid to help him, or to pummel him a new one. That was their finest glassware that he just broke! Alphys, Toriel and Sans at first could only stare, both at him and their guests...that just walked into the disaster. Papyrus himself wanted to cry, but had no idea that the trio at the door were there. He threw a thumbs up and shouted.

"I, the GREAT PAPYRUS, shall not be defeated by mere glassware! I am completely fine! Now, let's reset this up before... what is everyone staring at?" At first he was bewildered that they weren't coming to his immediate aid, but then saw as to why. There they were, in total shock, staring at him! He felt a blue blush creep across his cheek-bones, only to have Tahoma and Frisk's giggles fill up the room; Dave not even holding in his howling laughter.

"...hehehe, hAHAHA! I'm so sorry for laughing, are you okay Papyrus? You took quite a fall." She let herself in, facing Papyrus to check on his condition. Luckily he didn't have much of an eye to begin with, otherwise he would have lost one. She gently unsheathed the knife and placed it on the ground, noticing that his body-armor took the impact of both the table and glass.

"HAH, and Dave was saying that what you wore was impractical. Say, is that the spaghetti you were talking about?" Without hesitation, she took a noodle from the top of his head and wrapped it around her long, reptilian tongue. She looked at Dave with an almost smug look, taking a moment to contemplate the flavors. Her smile affirmed what she felt.

"Damn, that was pretty good! We should've brought some stuff of our own to share, though it'd be pretty hard to match that. Dave, what say we help them clean up? After that, we'll get a few pizza's; my treat!" Everyone, including Frisk herself, could only look in awe. Such a disaster, but she was being so positive about it! Undyne's jaw nearly dropped, how is she so chill about this? Not willing to let her take the spotlight, Undyne pushed the flabbergasted Papyrus into the bathroom.

"You heard her, clumsybones! Get cleaned up then get your ass back in here to clean up your mess!" Dave's laughter continued throughout the conversation, he KNEW that guy was an ass! It was put into an abrupt halt, however, when his youngster picked him up with ease.

"Woah woah kid, I'm not helping with shit! It was his mess, he can clean it up himself... or can he? BAHAHAhahaha!"

"Hear that everyone? Dave said that he'd more that DELIGHTED to do ALL of the dishes~ Isn't he just so nice?" Sans couldn't help but sneak a chuckle, much to Frisk's confusion. Toriel herself withheld a giggle, not wanting to be rude to her guest... or to let him know that she understood his language too.

"What? That's not what I said! Hey bones for asshole, a little help here?" Sans only shook his head back and forth, raising his arms up for a shrug.

"Hey, DISH yourself out there Dave. We'd love the help." He quickly got up and grabbed a broom, ignoring the fur-balls curses with annoyance. With multiple people there, the clean-up took no more than fifteen minutes. The pizzas ordered, the mess cleaned up, the night took off with movies and games. Monopoly was their first, and close to last boardgame. Needless to say, Undyne was a pretty soar loser. Poker was a game that Frisk somehow managed to always win... her poker face could not be beaten; with incredible luck to boot. The game would've been more interesting if they opted for the strip-poker that Alphys boldly suggested, but neither the skeletons or Toriel had the courage (nor clothes) for it to be worth their time. The night was spent late watching Mettaton's marathon of Game Show Fanatics! Both Sans and Frisk fell asleep after the fifth episode, the rest of their group gradually following suite. By the end of the marathon, it was three in the morning. Papyrus was the only person left that stood; he felt wide awake! On nights like these, he never stays up this long! He looked to the love seat to his left, and saw that his new neighbors had also fallen to slumber.

Papyrus felt torn. He didn't want to wake up his friends to walk them home...but he didn't want them to be uncomfortable when they woke up either. He then had a stroke of genius! Why didn't he just carry them home? Surely they're not that heavy together, with Dave being no larger than a puppy. Luckily he took good care of his body, his bones never cracked louder than a mouse whisper when he tried to be sneaky. He saw that their house-keys were barely hanging on to the comfort of Tahom's pockets, quickly grabbing them and sliding the metal into his front scarf pocket. He's had so much practice with carrying Sans... surely carrying Tahoma was no different? As quietly as he moved, he lightly carried Dave and laid him on Tahoma's chest, the grabbing her bridal style and out his door.

The outside was very dark; though it was summer, the sun wasn't set to arrive for another few hours. Luckily the street-lights were still broken, saving him the trouble of dealing with a woken Dave on the street. Papyrus thought he was an adorable monster, but he didn't want to see a cranky Dave... come to think of it, he didn't like seeing anyone woken up either. Tahoma was about as light as Sans, despite her height. Careful to balance them both on his left arm, he was able to grab the house keys and unlock their door. He felt awkward trying to find their bedrooms... he didn't like invading their privacy! Alas, it was pretty easy to find; the big, bold sign that read DAVE'S ROOM, KEEP OUT YOU BRAT! ...it was sure to be his. He only needed one, gentle hand to lay him on his mattress, making sure to tuck him in tight to help him regain his warmth. Next was Tahoma's room, just right across from his. Even in the dark, he could see that it was well decorated A large globe set itself on her desk, several posters that read such things as KEEP HANGING IN THERE! And NEVER GIVE UP! made her seem even more positive than his initial impression. He didn't take long to tuck her in, but DID have to be careful for a moment. She held onto his arm as he tried to leave.. man did she have a grip! Papyrus began to panic, but kept his cool like Sans had taught him. He peeled off her fingers one by one, until she eventually let go. He exited the house with a huge sigh of relief, he pulled a Santa Claus on his neighbors... and didn't get caught! He decided to do the same with both Alphys and Undyne with their own home, just to the left of theirs. Though he had to do one at a time, they always had their house unlocked... the last time someone tried to rob them, they left with bruises instead of stash.

By the time he had set all of his friends in their proper beds, the sun began to rise above them. It was such an exciting Friday! He impressed his new friends, and they all had a good time! He thanked his favorite Santa Claus that he kept on his nightstand for such an amazing day, and quickly fazed into sleep. Maybe he could play with them more tomorrow... after he's had some sleep!

* * *

Authors Note: So some may not agree that Papyrus could pull off carrying everyone, but I felt that this was appropriate. His stature gives me the impression that he's physically stronger than he looks, and could probably carry most of the characters with ease (save for Toriel or Undyne, who're on the bigger side). This chapter was definitely much longer than expected... but i'm very happy with it. I hope you guys are too!


	5. Sick day for Papryus!

Authors Note: Any advice for improving my writing further would be greatly appreciated, I hope you guys like the story so far! I'm having a fun time typing it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All copyright/ownership go to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

"... 'Morning Toriel." Sans was always one of the last to awake in the morning, save for the mornings that he had to work. Luckily his weekend was completely free, so the beauty of sleep could grace him longer than normal. Frisk was eating away at the pancakes Toriel had freshly made, a plate waiting for Sans to dive into. He took a seat on the bar stool in front of their little island, the only sign of the mess from last night were the empty pizza boxes left on the counter. The goat woman took a seat next to Sans, her grin was always a sight for soar eyes.

"Why good morning, Sans. You seemed to sleep well, I wanted to thank you for tucking us in last night." Frisk nodded her head in approval, her mouth completely filled with blueberry and honey goodness. Sans cocked his head slightly in confusion as he stuck his fork in.

"You're welcome, but i'm eh, not the one you should be thanking. Remember? I fell asleep a few minutes into the marathon." The confusion switched from the skeleton to the women next to him. Sans used his magic more often than he used to, everyone's seen his blue aura go around something at one point or another. They figured that he used it for the occasion.

"Oh, really now? Whom do I have to thank, for carrying my weight to my bedroom?" The brunette began to wash her plate and fork, listening closely to their conversation. She promised Toriel that she would finish her homework after breakfast today, so she let the suds soak in while Sans shrugged.

"How would I know? I was cruising the dream car. By the time I parked it, I stood up and remembered that I was in a bed. That traffic jam kept me there aaaalll night long!" A few laughs accompanied his analogy, Frisk's curiosity died along with some of her spirit... she should've figured that taking four college classes at once was going to be a burden. She took her leave, but nearly bumped into the very-tired Papyrus. She nodded her head a good-morning and greeted him with a smile, but he merely responded with a pat on the head. Even with her being a fully grown adult, she only reached to his shoulders in height. Frisk felt that something was wrong, but didn't want to get scolded for neglecting her studies; so she hurried to her room. The groaning skeleton took a seat in her place, plopping his skull on the marble below him.

"Yo bro, you feeling alright? You look a little tired." For once, he resisted the pun. His younger brother woke up before Papyrus on a Saturday morning... well, hardly morning anymore. It was about 11:00, very late for any day of the week. He leaned his head on his hand, a small amount of blue shrouded his cheeks while he answered.

"I, the great Papyrus, am fine! I am better than ever! I am...not feeling so great today. Sans, I believe that the Great Papyrus has gotten the sickness that the humans get sometimes. I do not understand this conundrum! I was well, feeling great when I went to bed. After meeting Santa Claus and the great pumpkin King, I woke up feeling... *cough cough* like a dirty sandbag." Toriel put the back of her hand against his skull, which began to feel a little warm. She started to grow concerned over the poor skeleton... normally she would feel much more confident about helping out a sick child; but she's never treated a skeleton. The miracle worker didn't even know where to start! She turned to Sans with her concerned expression, to be met with a similar one.

"Don't worry about it Paps, it's not the first time that either one of us have been sick. Why, you normally look sickly pale. Heh heh. All you need is some sleep, i'll go down and see what the 'ol doc has for medicine. I'll be back in a bit, so get back in bed." Noticing how calm and collected her companion was comforted Toriel, gave her confidence that this was not a large issue. She led him to his chambers for bed-time, without contest. His room had the Skeleton flag from before, the Santa Claus was so bluntly placed that it was the first item you noticed in the room. His box of bones sat in the corner, gathering dust due to lack of use. He no longer had his race car bed; he already had a super cool race car! Why would he need another one? She tucked him in tight, not more than a few moments later he had fallen asleep.

"Poor dear, I hope he gets to his old self soon." Her heart nearly dropped out of her chest when she turned around and saw Tahoma standing in the doorway. Though her looks deceived many, Toriel was getting older in age... despite not physically turning old. She was moderately surprised of her light footsteps. She resisted clenching her chest, save for the poor girl thinking that she was having a heart attack. The dog hybrid took a few steps into the room, holding out her hand for a shake.

"Oh i'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I wanted to stop by and thank you guys for last night... it's the most fun Dave and I have had in awhile; we really needed it. Sans was telling me that Papyrus was sick, so I thought i'd come up and check on him." Toriel took her handshake while she spoke, grateful for her kindness to her dear friend. Alphys soon followed her in, taking a good look at the slumbering skeleton with a gadget that was hard to describe. It looked like one of those new thermometers that doctors used for taking body temperature, but the women could easily tell that it was modified. Alphys nodded her head once or twice, before turning to the staring duo.

"Hmm, his temperature is a little high, but there's nothing that medicine and bed-rest won't fix. Sans should be back soon, so he'll be okay." A reassuring smile put Toriel at ease, but was slightly confused by Tahmo raising her hand up. After a few moments of awkward eye contact and silence, Alphys pointed in her direction.

"...U-Uh, you have a question?" Tahoma gave a long, almost childish nod of her head. Signaling to ask, she finally came out with it.

"I know that most monsters and humans that I've met can get sick... but how does a skeleton get sick?" A hearty laugh greeted Alphy's answer.

"Oh i'm so glad you asked! I actually looked into it the last time Sans got sick, it's quite an interesting anomaly. Ahem. So you know how all Monsters are primarily made up of magic, right? Well, the same thing goes for skeletal monsters. We ARE physical also, despite being made up of mostly magic. Thus, like humans, we monsters too, do get sick. It's the immune systems way of fighting off infections, viruses, or sometimes even adjusting itself to the body's new environment. Despite both Papyrus and Sans being made up of bones, they still have an immune system uniquely their own. So they get sick just like we do, but show different symptoms. From what i've noticed, they just have the risen body temperature, headache, and drowses that comes with common cold or flu-like illnesses."

"Oh, well that's kinda lucky then isn't it? I mean, he doesn't get a stuffy nose or an upset stomach." Papyrus's eye sockets slowly opened during their conversation, but kept quiet to ease-drop. Toriel seemed to be the only one that noticed, but kept that information to herself.

"Hmm, that might be true... but that does come with a price. You see they're only really made up of, well, skeleton. Whenever they get sick, they get that same sick feeling everywhere. When Sans got sick, he was in bed for a few days before he could walk upright on his own. We got lucky and caught Papyrus being sick early, so some medicine and rest should do just the trick." Satisfied with her own response, both Alphys and Toriel began to leave the room; Tahoma had shown no sings of leaving. The elder looked a little concerned, but decided to let her do as she well for the time being.

"If you ever get hungry, feel free to let me know dear. Thank you for stopping by and visiting~" She kept the door to a small crack... they've always had a no door closed policy in their household. The light chestnut woman took a seat next to Papyrus' bed, taking a gander at his bed stand. She immediately noticed the Santa Claus that stood proudly atop it; made of only the finest wax. She was startled when he took his land and laid in on hers, quickly snatching the figurine away like a jealous child would a toy.

"...Please don't touch my Santa Claus. It belong to I, the great Papyrus! *Cough cough*" His coughing wanted to make her cringe, Tahoma could never handle herself or others being sick. It was one of the many habits that she never grew out of... even as a child, she could remember pre-taking medicine during flu seasons... just to prevent from getting it herself. She let out a loud giggle.

"Whoa there tough guy, it's just a play-thing. What's with you and Christmas stuff? It's the middle of August!" He through a sneer in her direction, cuddling his precious belonging while sitting upright.

"Huh, maybe it's weird to YOU. However I, the great Papyrus, would never accuse Santa Claus and his good will ever being a bad thing on any day of the year! How else can he know that you've been a good boy or girl, if he can't watch?" She let out a snort, did he still believe that myth? Santa Claus was a story taught to children...both monsters AND humans alike! She made a quick mental note to never tell Dave... even if he didn't particularly care for Papyrus, he'd make quick work of breaking his little heart with the truth.

"...Well, you can't really beat that logic. Saaaaay, is he your main inspiration for carrying us home last night?" She gave a sly wink, which only made the skeleton blush further. He was sure that they were both deep asleep!

"...H-How would YOU know that, even if I did?" The skeleton was moderately surprised at defending himself. Shouldn't he own up to it, and take pride? He's done it so many times before for his older brother, so what makes Tahoma any different? Then he remembered...it's because he went into their room without permission. He wouldn't DARE get caught admitting to an act that was so improper. She wagged her finger back and forth in front of his eyes.

"Two things there. For one, I was one of the last people to fall asleep last night... you were clearly the last man standing. And for two... well, i'm a really light sleeper. I figured it was a free ride home, so why the hell not take up on the offer? Don't worry too much though, kay? Just keep this between you and me... but Dave is a SUPER deep sleeper. He doesn't sleep very often, probably every other day will he actually sleep. But when he conks out? Not even a thunderstorm or earthquake could wake him up." He knocked on her skull for emphasis, and the fact left him at an awe. How could someone sleep that deeply? The one other person he knows that can fall asleep that deep was non other than Toriel herself... but not even she could sleep through those disasters!

"Hmm, that's a perplexing situation. How do you know of this Dave? Is he your brother?" The question wanted to get Tahoma laughing at the mere though, but she resisted.

"OH no no no no. Haha, that's a pretty funny thought now that you mention it. Dave... he kinda raised me." She looked nearly bashful while admitting their relations.

"WHAT? You two look nothing alike? ...Do you look like your mother? Where is she?" Learning more about his new friend excited even a sick cinnamon roll like Papyrus. He knew that he was one of the best... well, at anything really. He could go on for hours about his amazing talents, his stylish looks, his favorite games... and his very best friends. But why would he want to, when she had something else almost as interesting to share?

"He's not my actual father, Papyrus. You see, I-I was really young, a toddler in age when both of my parents just... vanished. I had no idea where they went to and why. I waited for a few weeks, months it felt like. I only remember scrounging through the garbage dump when Dave found me. According to him, I kept on saying that I was waiting for them to come home. After awhile, he convinced me to come live with him until they showed up... they never did. So long story short, Dave kinda became my adopted dad. We've been living together since I was little, and I wouldn't change that for the world." She assured her story with a grin, but not even Papyrus and his naive nature bought her smile. He pondered for a moment about what to ask next, but didn't get the chance.

"Oh, that's enough about me. What about you, sick boy? I kinda figured that you and Sans were brothers, but how did you start living with everyone else? Where did the human come into the picture? I haven't seen many humans get along with monsters all that well." She leaned on her arms, which she placed across the nightstand while she stared in his direction; waiting for his queue. He wore a big grin while he responded.

"Well I, the great Papyrus, have many fantastic friends! You have already met my lazy-bones brother Sans... we've been living together for as long as I can remember. Toriel and the young human Frisk started living in my home since we moved from the Underground. We've been a family for a long time... I their leader of course. Frisk has always been more than welcome here, the notorious goat-lady has babied her since she knew of her existence! I, the great Papyrus *cough cough* have made sure that she was properly cared for! Why, I promise her only the very best; pretty easy with a man such as I around." Boy, did he like to brag. Tahoma took a moment to wonder how such a kind soul could have such a... boisterous personality. She shook of those thoughts... it was rude to even think in his own bedroom! She sighed while twiddling her tumbs back and forth, family was always a tough topic for her to discuss. She felt more delight in hearing of other's good fortune... but there was a spark of despair within her when it came to her own parents. Papyrus began to cringe in the awkward silence, and broke it in the only way he knew how.

"...Ahem. So Tahoma; how about a challenge? It is a challenge so fearsome, so agonizing, SO difficult that only I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, could even fathom the outcome... that's kinda easy, considering that I would win with my greatness." She immedietely perked up. A difficult game? One that could be painful and embarressing?

...Papyrus spoke her language.

* * *

"Yo Paps. Sorry it took my so long to get your medicine... the line there was sooo long, I forgot that it was the line for Skele-wars 2. The doctor's office was pretty empty tho-" Sans nearly finished his sentence before looking up, pausing to admire the amusing view. A few years back, his younger brother had the brilliant creative streak when it came to making up games; Frisk was too old to enjoy the previous ones that he used to enjoy. Instead, he figured that he could use his magic again to a hilarious advantage. There Tahoma and Papyrus were, both balancing on one of his many bones that he kept stored in his molding cardboard box. They took turns hopping from one to another in mid-air, pies balanced atop their heads. They were playing on one of the most difficult 'levels', by shooting paper planes at each other's heads to try and unbalance the other to victory. He had to actually look hard, but he noticed beads of sweat beginning to cluster atop both of their heads. In a way, it impressed him. Sans himself was the only other person that could actually win at his brother's own game. Tahoma's turn was next.

"Y-You can't keep this up forever you know. I've got a secret weapon... and i'm not afraid to use it!" Her taunt nearly tipped her enemy off of his self-made stand, taking a moment to calm himself. Yelling wouldn't help pave his way to victory, and his coughing was difficult enough to deal with as it was."

"I, the GREAT *cough cough COUGH* eh Papyrus, am not afraid of such a lowly weapon. As Undyne would say, BRING IT ON!"

"Alright, YOU asked for it!" She tucked in her ears as far back as they would go. Her eyes began to water, as if she was about to cry. Her pair of hands curled up to look like paws, covering her chin and framing her face. For the finishing touch, a small sniffle from her little pink nose perfected her ultimate begging face. Sans wasn't one to really care much for things that were cute, but even he had to admit that it was irresistibly adorable. Papyrus was a man by his own code, and refused to look away and cheat his way to winning. He jumped from the current bone to the next, though he just barely made it. She took her turn to jump; landing safely and keeping her face in the process.

"HA! Not even the cutest of begging faces can faze someone as great as me! Have you denounced your turn? Or was that all your secret weapon had t- OH GOD!" A quick backwards jump had him on the ground, proclaiming the victor to be no other than Tahoman! Sans clutched his chest at the face she just made... not only could she cute her way in, she could fear her way out! He had a hard time believing that someone could go from so sweet to horrifying in just a blink-frame! Alas, the hidden technique worked to her benefit. She landed swiftly to the ground, lending her hand to her defeated companion.

"I DID warn you Papyrus. Sorry that I pulled such a dirty trick...but I couldn't resist. HAhaha, Dave hates that face as much as you do." Sighing at his utter lose, he took her hand. The energy to play their game as well as his illness took a larger toll on him than he expected, nearly passing out on Tahoma after he took a stand.

"Woof, you really are heavy. Let's get you back into bed before you crush me like that dining room table." She could hear him moan in discontent at the burn she just made, but figured the humor didn't hurt. Sans kept back while she tucked him in, finally noticing his presence and waving Sans over.

"Oh sorry Sans, we were too busy playing a pretty fun game Papyrus made up. I'll probably head home, now that you have his medicine. I'll catch y'all later." She waved them both a farewell, receiving a smile from Papyrus as she exited the door. Sans began to open up the cap for the skele-med that the doctor recommended, reminding himself to keep it for future use.

"Seemed like you had a fun time huh? How're you doin Pap?" He began to pour the cap to the amount needed, the blue hue reminded him of the color of his eye whenever it glowed. He hasn't seen it in a long time... he never liked looking at himself whenever he got riled up enough to use his own magic.

"I'm doing just fi *cough cough*, fine. Tahoma is a good friend, but she seemed sad for some reason. How could someone be sad around the great Papyrus, Sans?" He cringed at the taste of the liquid that went down his version of a throat, but resisted the urge to spit it back up. He began to wash the concoction down with some water while his caregiver responded.

"Hmm, she seemed fine to me. People are happy for different reasons, and the same thing applies to being sad too. Might've thought of my hilarious jokes, heh."

"Well whatever it is, I shall take it upon myself to make sure she's not sad anymore. Once i'm not sick, that is. I am getting really slee-" Ploof! Skull against the pillow, his brother was out cold. He took another look at the bottle, amazed about how accurate the timing was for knocking the skeleton out... within 2 minutes. He kept the bottle beside the slumbering log, and left him to his dreams.

* * *

"Where have you been for the past few hours? You said you were just stopping by to see the new kids." She could tell that Dave was in a relatively good mood, despite the hint of annoyance in his growls. Whenever he slept well, not much could sour his mood for at least half of his first day awake. Once that hits, the monster's nerves became frayed all too easily. She sat beside him on their porch, soaking in the sun above within the comforts of their plastic lawn chairs. Dave had been drinking lemonade for the past few hours, noticing the empty pitchers by his side. He hopped off to enter their home, proclaiming of his need to pee and to make more of his current vice. A second following Dave's foosteps with her eyes landed her in an awkward situation when she turned her head forward, Sans right in her field of vision.

"Woah man, didn't see you there. Nearly scared me half to death! How's your day been?" She greeted him with her usual smile, though it didn't seem as forced as it would normally be. She waved for him to come closer, to which he obliged.

"Days been going pretty good. Great sun, good food at home, a life worth remembering. Y'know, my brother's pretty good at a lot of things; that's what makes him a pretty cool dude. One of the things he's really good with though... it's something that not even he knows he's good at." Tahoma's smile began to fade as Sans spoke, she started to become nervous for what he had to say next.

"That thing? Well, it's just being the sensitive person that he is. You have no idea how hard it is to hide anything from him. Surprises, a present for Christmas... emotions being the best one. Every single time i've ever been upset... I could be in the next room and he could tell. I always try to pull it off as just having a bad day or that he was just giving random hugs...but he knows better, even if he doesn't know better. Does that make any sense?" His neighbor shook her head in understanding, but also showed a confused expression.

"Y-yeah, I understand that... but Sans, what does that have to do with me? Hehe." Her giggle didn't deter the skeleton.

"You can't really fool the ol' Sanster. We're neighbors now... everyone here really likes you and Dave both. We haven't had anyone who's lived her be as open or as nice...that's a good change. I could go on all day about how excited Papyrus was for the two weeks you guys were prepping up for living here, or how he talked about good of a friend you are. Toriel, Undyne, Alphys, and even Frisk like having a new friend; even if they're not as open about it as my brother. You're more well liked than you give yourself credit for... Papyrus can tell that you're not happy with something. I just came here to tell you that you better watch out for yourself... otherwise, you might have to suffer from some of my hilarious jokes." He delivered his last line with a wink, which nearly put Tahoma to tears. She double-checked to make sure that her eyes weren't watering from his words, only to blink and see that he was gone. She took a 360 and found nothing, which only had her at a huff. Taking a seat, Dave had finally come out with his lemonade.

"Say kid, how's the new medicine holding up for yah? I keep on forgetting to ask about it." For once, his gruff gave a tone of full sympathy. She gave a small smile to confirm her next answer.

"It's working great, Dave! I haven't had a sad spell since I've started taking it!"


	6. A Talk On Their Porch

Authors Note: So I might've forgotten to mention that this story takes place after the True Pacifist ending in the game... I go by this because Toriel teaches you about sparing monsters from the get-go, and I feel like (if the player has no involvement) Frisk would go out of her way to spare the monsters; just a little food for though. I apologize about my last chapter taking longer than normal to upload; I began to suffer from a little writers block. Not to worry though! Seems like I've finally gotten past it, so more updates to come!

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All copyright/ownership belong to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

"Say Frisk, how's the homework going for yah? I heard that school works you to the BONE." Sans gave a sly wink to the giggling human before him. She had just finished closing her mathematics book, setting it atop her other textbooks and nodding to confirm that she was indeed done. Unlike in her youth, Frisk was unable to adventure out as much as she used to. Once she reached back to the surface, she was kept busy upholding the peace between Monster and Human relations; it was an incredibly tiring job, but she felt that it was well worth it. Since she was in college now, several other trust-worthy monsters and humans were also up for the task, exchanging the work-load kept the girl on her feet. Sans gave her a smile before taking a seat on the wooden chair placed next to her, noticing that she's kept herself organized. Toriel was always very picky about what to teach the growing girl, and keeping herself clean and spiffy was one of them.

"Say kid, how's the other chumps with their new jobs? I know that it takes multiple people to do the work that you do, but is even that enough?" Though it may not seem like it, Sans rarely took the time to be serious about much. No pun in sight, that immediately warned Frisk to take his question seriously. She took a moment to ponder his words, but then nodded her head in approval of their work. Sans closed his eyes for a second before continuing.

"Y'know, i'm glad that you're confident enough. You were dealing with getting monsters and humans to get along since you were a kid... so it's probably nice not to worry about it so much. But lemme get you in on what I've learned... according to the little fluff ball that lives next door, one of the larger cities is having a major speciest problem. It's gotten bad over there kid, enough to make them wanna move here." Frisk's expression switched from content to worried as he shared his knowledge, placing her hand underneath her chin to contemplate it all. Sans chuckled while he patted her on the head.

"Naw, don't worry too much about it kid. It was bound to go sour somewhere, it's happening far away from home. Tell yah what? I'm free for the next few days...that uh, place I work at is under construction for awhile. I'll talk with the dude in charge of the place, see what all he can do. In the meantime, why not take a load off for a bit? If we leave Papyrus on his own for too long, he might just have too much fun messing with the new guys." Frisk and Sans left through her bedroom door as he spoke, Frisk nodded in understanding as she left for Tahoma and Dave's place. Papyrus had fallen asleep no more than an hour prior, with the promise of him being knocked out for the rest of the day. If their schedules were still on track, Undyne and Alphys were busy with their workloads... Toriel herself teaching a few children at a near-by daycare about the wonders of reading. Even since she graduated from public school, her adopted mom had decided to teach younger children instead of the teenagers she grew used to. Sans bid her a farewell while he went to his room... he was gonna be up all night figuring out what the hell was going on in the larger cities.

* * *

"Oh, hello Frisk! How's your day been?" Frisk delivered her smile, taking a seat next to the excited monster while she poured her a cup of lemonade. Dave began to fidget in his seat, showing his discomfort at their new guest for showing up out of the blue. He decided to not contest, closing his eyes to relax in the sunlight. Frisk gave a small smile and nodded her head in approval, even giving a thumbs up to her lemonade!

"Glad that you like it! ...Y'know, you guys have been pretty welcome since we've come here. If y'all ever need anything, hit me up and i'll do whatever I can to help you; our door is always wide open." Frisks grin grew into a full smile, showing her gratitude by offering a delicate handshake. Tahoma looked from the corner of her eye to notice Dave holding in a contested growl. He never liked it when Tahoma opened up their doors for anyone... but she felt it would only be fair. If they were gonna be good neighbors, she should try her best too.

"Aaaah man, i'm enjoying the sunshine. It's gonna kinda suck, having to go back to work in a week; at least my employers were kind enough to give me an entire month off before I have to go back! Working at the restaurant is pretty tiring work after all... but i'm lucky enough that they kept me on board. Then there was the gas-station that I work at too... i'm so grateful that they're so patient."

"Of course they're gonna be patient, they know that you're one of their best workers! Finding a good employee for such shitty jobs is hard enough as it is... even if their turnover rate IS high enough to fire you, they'd have to be drunk off their ass to ever think that losing you would be a good idea." His condescending tone confused the poor human listening in. She could remember Toriel teaching her about how, like humans, monsters could speak in multiple languages. She would have to ask Toriel for some lessons in some of the more common ones for future use. She started to wonder if Dave's tongue was popular at all.

"Oh Dave, i'm not THAT good of an employee! It's just that people in those jobs are either in school, or are in-between bigger and better jobs. People QUIT more often that they get fired y'know. I just happen to need those jobs, and they pay enough to take care of the bills." Frisk found it a little odd that she was defending herself in this light... from what she said, Dave had just given her a compliment. Why would she reject a kind response? Frisk figured that not all people had the confidence Papyrus had.

"Pheh, whatever you say kid. Listen, I've gotta get to work in the next few hours. I'm going early, I don't plan on getting myself lost in this place. I'll catch you tomorrow night." He waved her off as he took his leave, entering their blue pickup truck and running its engine. It was surprisingly quiet, only taking a second to hum before Dave took off to his next destination.

"Dave's going to one of his two jobs. See, we both gotta work those two jobs to make the money for bills and other cool stuff. My paychecks go towards loan payments, food, and our utilities. His goes towards anything else; like cable or internet bills. He got super lucky and got a really nice job at a delivering company; packing boxes and carrying them out to the trucks. Then the best job he's got, it's actually working with kids at a local kindergarten. Who'da thunk huh? Haha, he'd never show it outright, but he loves teaching kids. He tells me that he's one of the few monsters that get to... I mean, have you looked at him? If it wasn't for the constant angry grandpa look he's got going, he looks like a plaything. HAhahaha!" Frisk also let out a laugh of her own, you could never truly judge someone based on their appearance. If she had... then she wouldn't be living with her current family. It reminded her of how most humans interacted with monsters from the start... they were terrified of them. It wasn't until Frisk (as well as other friendlier monsters and more open-minded humans) convinced the rest of the world to give them a chance. She was glad that most were able to find a happy ending... well, most being the key word in that phrase. She could recall one that was beyond saving... it always made her sad thinking about him.

Asriel. Or Flowey... Flowey the Flower. In her spare time, she's been trying to research what all she could do to save the poor beast. He was young when he died... around her age. He's by far older now, but she could only wonder how much better life might be... if she was able to save him. She looked at the house across the street, and began to wonder what life would be like if he was the one Toriel doted her attention on. Frisk remembered having a family of her own... but decided, ultimately, that remaining under Toriel's care would benefit them both in the long run. She'd contacted her human parents since then, and they were indeed on good terms. Like any birth-giver, they weren't too happy when she first told them of her stay. Alas, time truly did heal those wounds; she even planned to visit them in a week. Her pondering caught the attention of Tahoma.

"Say there Frisk. I've been meaning to ask yah... but why're you living with those guys across the street? I mean it's cool that they're your family and all of that, but don't you have a human family too?" The question was answered with Frisk's story of the Underground. How it all started when her parents went to go visit family in another state, and that she decided to climb the mountain. She retold of her adventures; Toriel protecting her from the Flower that nearly ended her life, Toriel caring for her well-being from the very start. She shared how Sans immediately began to pull pranks on her with their first meeting, and all of the silly puzzles that Papyrus had her solve. Tahoma let out a small giggle when she explained how Papyrus wanted to capture her to get into the Royal Guard... but ultimately didn't have the heart for it. Her battles with Undyne and meeting the by-standards of her adventure kept the woman's interest, elaborated how friendly everyone was to such a young girl. She could see and even feel herself cringe when she got to the part with Alphys and the secret lab, but soothed her troubled heart when she confirmed that the bodies of the previous monsters were turned back to their families. She told of her heroics with Asgore... how she was able to save everyone by breaking the barrier in the end. The only part of her adventure that she kept to herself was Asriel being Flowey... in a way, Frisk couldn't bring herself to admit that someone was left behind. She ended her tale by exclaiming her desire to live with Toriel, with knowledge that her parents were young and wished to live a more frivolous life-style, despite knowing that they loved her deeply. An hour had passed while she recollected her adventures, which left the monster in awe.

"WOW, that really is an amazing story, huh? To think, I get to hear it from the chick that saved us all! HAH! Man... I couldn't even imagine going through all of that. Y'know, Frisk, I wished that I could go on adventures like that, back when I was your age." Frisk tilted her head, a little confused.

"Oh, i'm not THAT old. I just turned twenty by the time we were free from the Underground. But while I was stuck there, I always wondered what the world really looked like. I saw a bunch of posters of what life used to be... before the war that separated our kind from yours. The world really is a beautiful place. It's kinda silly~ I wanted to explore the greatest landmarks, with Dave and a man in hand. Just a silly little dream though, I couldn't ever imagine spending that much money in one place. Reality's a thing that can suck, but it makes appreciating what you have all that more special." Her little rant ended with an awkward silence, which began to get uncomfortable for the duo.

"Welp, I tend to ramble a little too much. Hehe, say there, Frisk. If you ever feel like going on an adventure, just say the word and i'll tag along~ I should probably get back inside and get a little more work done, we still gotta pain a few rooms. It's so nice to have a place to call our own, so we should definitely make it look good. Tell Papyrus to get well soon, I wanna invite y'all over for a grand-slam breakfast one of these days!" She bid Frisk a farewell with a smile and wave, entering her house to finish her chores. The younger woman took the queue and left for her own room, and idea began to brew in the back of her mind...

* * *

"I'm telling you man, the relations here are getting a little worse, day by day. I've been meaning to talk with Frisk about it, but I wanted to wait until her college work was done."

"How's it getting worse? Didn't eh, a few laws get put into place when it came down to Monsters and Humans living together?"

"There are. According to state law, no buildings are forbidden from monsters OR humans... but landlords aren't listening. There isn't a proper punishment system for people that don't obey just that ONE law, so people left and right are breaking them. One building here, for just humans. Another building there, for just monsters. There are even entire neighborhoods that separate the two! That's not even our largest worry! Sans, things are getting violent in New York. It's not even between Humans and Monsters specifically... it's monsters fighting for space!" Right as the current monster finished his sentence, a large chicken monster pushed him aside.

"Hello Sans. So I've been doing my research, and I think i've figured out a cause to all of this fighting. You see, many monsters are stuck in the mentality that they had back in the Underground. To elaborate, imagine the amount of space that we had BEFORE the move up here. New Home was extremely crowded, enough to force many monsters out of the city. Even though we're part of an incredibly fast world, monsters are stuck thinking that large cities are the only way to live... it's in their comfort level. With humans already having the amount of space covered, many monsters feel as if they have to fight for their rights to live comfortably. In short, Monsters haven't stopped thinking like they're in the Underground. What is your current recommendation?" Sans took a few moments to think hard about his question. He put up his boney finger, as an introduction to his answer.

"We're gonna have to put a hold on any plans for now. The tyke is nearly done with her semester, so i'll talk with her once she gets home. In the meantime... I DO have a trick that just might work. It'll be a little expensive, but it should get some monsters to calm down..."


	7. Dining Out

Authors Note: I apologize for the lack of updates, I've been caught up in a bunch of stuff recently. I'll try to type out my chapters whenever i'm able. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All copyright and ownership go to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

Three months had passed since Tahoma and Dave had moved in next door. Though they tried to see their wacky neighbors whenever they could, work had loaded the duo with many hours after an entire month off. They seemed to have adapted well to their new environment, with Dave's negative attitude gradually decreasing over the course of their time span in California. Though he still abhorred large cities (with which he claims are 'All the same!") he found himself enjoying the peace of a snug neighborhood that was placed away from it all. Both found it amusing, how quickly Papyrus's cheer drove off any new residence from remaining. There was one couple that stayed for two weeks... but they had their checks bounce for their house-payments. Needless to say, Dave began to appreciate the skeletons positive and obnoxious attitude... even if it worked to the hermit's negative benefit.

Speaking of the skeleton, Papyrus had quickly recovered from his illness months before, and had gotten back into his old antics. He still patrolled the neighborhood like he had before the monsters were freed. Despite how many occasions Sans tried to convince him it was no longer necessary, Papyrus just couldn't kick the habit. Due to being an at home man, he was the one that (somewhat begrudgingly) took care of the chores. Tahoma had asked him why he never bothered to search for a job... the answer didn't really surprise her. 'Oh most places cannot contain my AWEsomeness! I've been hired in multiple places, but they let me go for such circumstances. Ridiculous I say!' She felt bad for him in a way... she couldn't even imagine losing a job, but he seemed content with his current position, so she never pressed further.

Meanwhile, Frisk began to grow more and more excited for the upcoming holiday. Her schoolwork had only increased as her quarter was close to it's end... the last week of November being the most stressful; finals week. She had no time to truly absorb the reports that Sans and Asgore had given her about the current state of the world. With the first report coming from New York about the aggression taking place among st monsters, more and more were getting sent in all across the country. Several other countries had globally sent their reports as well, none of which had a positive outlook... with the exception of the much colder climate countries. San's proposal to help calm down the raging monsters was indeed interesting, with Frisk being on board with it... however, many (including Asgore) are finalizing the small details before having it take place. She hoped deep down that it would take place soon, she felt much guilt for not taking care of the issue much sooner.

Undyne and Alphys were probably the two with the least amount of changes to happen recently. Undyne kept her work at the local gyms, as well as martial arts classes and occasional substituting at local schools. She started to become much more world renowned for her workout routines, her fame coming from the online videos that she and Alphys have posted. She even planned on going on a worldwide tour next year! Alphys continued her scientific work, though Frisk herself couldn't quite remember what her current project is on. For the past few years, she had been releasing common conveniences in the form of television products; the talking Teddy Bear that would hold your sodas for you was a popular hit with children. Frisk sighed as she finished her schoolwork for the day, thankful that Toriel had taught her to study ahead of time. Unlike most of her current class, she was completely caught up in time for finals. A couple of her study-group friends have kept her busy, keeping the Brunette mentally sharp as she helped them with their studies. She got up from her desk and decided to visit Tahoma for once. She had hardly seen her since she had moved in, finding the idea of spending time with her a great way to refresh from a long day.

Her own home was already filled to the brim with Thanksgiving decorations, with a few Santa's placed here and there. The day for feasting had already passed, noticing that Toriel was already at work putting their many decorations away... setting up for the much larger holiday ahead of them. She was surprised to see no one else assisting the poor goat monster... most of her monster family LOVED to decorate for the holidays! Toriel seemed to almost read her mind, bidding her over to their kitchen for her famous Butterscotch pie. With an exchange of smiles, Toriel handed Frisk a delicate slice while they both took a seat on their bar stools.

"You know Frisk, I am VERY proud of you. This is your second year in college, and you've been able to keep such a high Grade Point Average the entire time. I have great confidence that you'll continue to do great as an ambassador, and your future career looks very bright to me~"

"Yeah Kid, your future's so bright, I gotta wear shades!" His segway joke amused the duo while he stood between the two, slicing himself a piece of the glorious pie. The three sat in silence while they each had finished their piece, only to have Toriel interrupt it with a question.

"Say Sans, Frisk; have you seen where the others have been? I haven't seen Undyne or Alphys since last week, and Papyrus did not return home last night." A worried expression crept up both the skeleton and human's face, Frisk shook her head for a no. Sans placed two of his boney fingers on his chin while he contemplated, closing his eyes while he tried to remember. A small giggle erupted from the silence that yet again took place, opening his empty eye sockets and displaying a shrug of his shoulders.

"Heh, I think I remember Undyne and Alphys planning a small vacation, for just the two of them. Said something about an Anime convention somewhere around here. Seeing the sights and meeting other nerds. Y'know, I bet that Papyrus followed them; like the crazy puppy of bones that he is. Should've known that he would've tried to run off with them... i'll go find out where he's at. In the meantime, Frisk, why don't you go see the neighbors? None of us had heard from them in awhile." Frisk nodded her head in agreement, while gradually making her way towards the door. She could faintly hear Sans asking Toriel out for dinner tonight, much to her delight. Right before she closed the door, they were about to go up the stairs before he mentioned to not worry about the decor of their home. With a smile, she gently shut the entryway, to make way for another.

* * *

A little ping of their doorbell caught the attention of Dave, who'd had just woken up from a several day slumber. This was the weekend that he could FINALLY get off, after several straight months of working. He planned on celebrating it the only way he knew how, by sleeping and having a few drinks while watching television. Best benefit? An entire season of that famous Mettaton game-show had just come out! He almost felt like skipping to the door, only to stop himself... save his adopted daughter from watching. He hadn't seen her all afternoon, so he figured that she was probably at work. Removing his eyepatch before opening the door, he opened Frisks way in. The furry little monster wasn't really tolerant of humans, but Frisk was the pure exception. She was polite, intelligent, and quiet... just the way he wished Tahoma was more of. She sat down onto their sofa while he stood dumbfounded. Tahoma was the one to initiate conversation, not him. Besides that, she wouldn't be able to understand him whatsoever. With an annoyed sigh, he rung up Tahoma's phone.

"...Oh hey Dave! How are you enjoying your day off?"

"I'm enjoying it fine. What i'm NOT enjoying, however, is your absence. The kid's here, come back home and talk with her or something." His growls and grunts sounded commanding, though Frisk didn't detect anything further than annoyance as he spoke through his cellphone. She tried her best to relax, and began to watch the game show before her while she waited.

"...Dave, we're in our backyard. Why not come out and play with us?" With a quick hangup on the phone, he nudged Frisk off of the couch and lead her to their backdoor as advised. Tahoma rarely played outside anymore, what with being a working adult... but his biggest inquiry was what the hell she meant by 'we'? It was shown to be non-other than Papyrus! Both were laughing while having their rematch of Papyrus's game; officially called Balancing on the Bones of Destiny! Try to Beat me, you Shall not! ...Though it was nicknamed to Bone Balance. Frisk and Dave watched as Tahoma had taken her step to the next bone, a small giggle escape as she dodged the paper airplane that Papyrus threw at her.

"Aw what the hell? Tahoma, just WHAT are you doing? Also explain why this dipshit for bones is here? Without MY permission?" The grunting old man didn't personally mind Papyrus... but he DID mind intruders! Tahoma scoffed while she watched Papyrus jump his way to the next bone with ease, filling the air with his cackle while doing so. Tahoma resisted the urge to turn her head around to look at her adopted father, shrugging her shoulders while maintaining her balance, along with adjusting the cream pie atop of her head.

"Aw Dave, don't worry about it so much! You've been asleep since yesterday morning, and I didn't have to work until tonight. Papyrus and I were bored, so we figured that we could hang out. Besides, we didn't break any... tables, while you were asleep. Ain't that right Pap?" He nearly stumbled over his own, enlarged feet in embarrassment, trying to will his incoming blush away. Frisk let out a small giggle in response, taking a seat on the nearby lawn-chair while she looked up in awe. Frisk had her weaknesses, one of them being balance. If she didn't concentrate hard enough, she could be just as clumsy as the bubbly skeleton before her! Luckily she wasn't as aloof, so not many notice when she dropped her pencils or a dish once in awhile.

"I, the GREAT Papyrus, shall not be moved by such an event, that took place LONG ago. I am not the only one that can display such clumsy acts, so I shall not accept your hypocrisy!" She delivered the last line with a sly wink, Tahoma blushing herself while taking her turn to throw the paper airplane. To his amusement, it simply flew to the ground in a disappointing squish. She kept her cool while bouncing to the next skeleton, taking yet another moment to adjust the pie. Dave's frustration with Papyrus's presence faded while watching their little game, cackling at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

"A cup, dear Papyrus, is NOT the equivalent of an entire table! Not to mention, I don't even weigh enough to break a table, even if I body slammed into one!" Her tone began to sound more aggressive, which hardly phased the recuperated Papyrus. He threw the paperplane, but it too, did not land any marks. Though his was much closer, he cackled as if it had. He jumped to the next bone, Papyrus now facing the back fence. Coughing, he took a moment to look her dead in the eye.

"Oh dead Tahoma, the great Papyrus does not worry about his weight. It is ALL in glorious muscle, the best of kind of weight offered to any body! I, however, do not sing loudly in the shower! Such passion! Such romance! Yet, all alone like a rainy day! What does that feel like, Tahoma?" His snide snicker caused Tahoma to start blushing, even more so with Dave's howl of laughter in the background. She managed to do her jump, but could not keep her balance as she slipped right off of the bone. Papyrus heard a faint 'ow' from the fallen, smoothly jumping off of his bone and clearing away his magic. Luckily her pie landed face first into the dirt away from her face, close but not quite a hit. Papyrus handed his pie to Dave, then turned to the towers in front of him. With a wave of his hand, the bones that they used dissipated into thin air, getting neatly stored back in his cardboard box at home through his blue magic.

"HYEH HEH HEH! I am Victorious this day! Revenge has been found!" He went over to his gaming rival, offering his hand for a way to stand up. She begrudgingly took it, trying her best not to appear as a sore loser. She refused to smile out of annoyance, but shook his hand once she was up.

"Damn Papyrus, that was just dirty! ...I guess I don't have any room to talk though, well played." She congratulated him through her teeth, trying to play a good sport. She hated to admit it, but Papyrus's ego probably didn't need any more fuel than what he gives it himself.

"Well well, I can play your game then. I must say that you're quite good at my amazing game! You've been the only one to beat me! ..Well, other than my brother. Even our match was well fought, so I say to you, WELL PLAYED!" He stood in his victory pose, awing the loser. She didn't expect Papyrus to compliment her, rather than stand there and brag about how well he did. Dave began to notice the small spots of red that crept on her cheeks, which began to annoy him greatly. He let out a loud sound of clearing his throat, pointing at his pocket watch.

"You said that you had work tonight! You might wanna get your ass on that." Papyrus could feel a small ting of annoyance go through the back of his skull, but decided to ignore it as Tahoma took a closer look at the time. She went from relaxed to a panic state quick, rushing into the house while yelling behind her.

"I'm gonna be late! Sorry Paps, gotta go. Later guys!" The door slammed shut behind her, the wind from her rush nearly toppled Dave over. An aggressive sigh escaped his lips, shaking his noggin while he went to reopen their door. He looked at the duo and bode them inside, leading them through his front door. He didn't want to admit it, but he should try to practice speaking their language; he understood them just fine, but he rarely speaks anything other than his own tongue. With how much more involved he's getting with more people, he'll have to (begrudgingly) communicate with them at some point. With an exchange of waves, the two took their cue and left for home.

* * *

"Heya Paps, where were you? Been looking for yah buddy." He and Toriel were sitting at their new dining table, the papers in front of them told Frisk that they were discussing finances; Toriel's adorned glasses supported the notion. Papyrus walked over and took a seat, excited to recap his tale.

"Oh I just went over to play with Tahoma! A ferocious round of cards, water-balloon fight, movie marathon of Attack of the Bone Army, and we just finished playing my ever famous game... Bone Balance!" Saying it all under one excited breathe, he decided to use the shorter version of the name. The skeletons didn't really need to breathe, but Papyrus sure did like to pretend. Toriel let out a small giggle while Sans gave a thumbs up to his brother, though Frisk could notice his pondering expression while he gave it.

"Huh, that's great to hear Paps, glad you had fun. You should let us know when you're gonna be gone that long though... wouldn't want to have to resort to the CANINE unit to find you." He delivered it with a slight wink, though Papyrus was almost too excited to get annoyed. He brushed off the bad joke with his hand while he sat down to ponder what to do for the rest of the afternoon. Frisk was just as bored with her free time today, so she sat next to him while he thought. Papyrus could be cleaver when he truly wished to be, which makes his idea's all the more worthwhile to look into. She could swear that fumes were exiting his skull while he tried to think, the frustration killed the light air of tranquility that their home normally had.. y'know, if it wasn't filled with chaos. He then snapped his fingers, and looked to his brother with a delighted smile.

"Say Sans, the Great Papyrus just remembered. Tahoma is working at that restaraunt downtown. Could we go there for their spaghetti and ham?" Frisk nodded her head in agreement, delighted at the prospect of going out to eat. She truly enjoyed the cooking prowess of Toriel... and sometimes Papyrus when he made his spaghetti. It took a few years of enduring nights of getting sick or the few with which he cried, when he finally realized that he was cooking it completely wrong. However, it was well worth it. The change of pace sounded refreshing, and filled Frisk with a determination for a long sought experience. Sans looked to Toriel for approval, which was given in a polite nod fashion. He sighed while he closed his notebook.

"Good grief guys, you've got me on the ropes with this! We were so tied up in our conversation too! Let's wrap up this session, and we'll climb our way over there."

"SANS!"

* * *

It was Nine in the evening when they decided to go out. With it still being a Saturday (along with many chores to be finished), Toriel figured that having a late dinner wasn't such a terrible idea. The local Penny's was incredibly busy this night, though Frisk could only wonder why it seemed so rush. With Thanksgiving just passing, and Christmas on it's way, she thought that most would try to save their dollars. Alas, that was not the case this night. She could barely spot Tahoma rushing back and forth to customers as they were getting seated, only for her to rush in the kitchen for someone's order. Several years ago, a gathering of monsters would have changed the mood of most establishments... but in most recent years, the awkward tension they gave with their presence became non-existent. She noticed that there was a fair portion of monsters here, amongst the humans. Most seemed to be among-st their own groups, maybe one or two that had a mix. She smiled as Tahoma excitedly greeted them, while delivering their menus.

"Oh HEY guys! Welcome to Penny's. Surprised y'all are out to eat on such a busy night. Haha, anything that I can get'cha to drink while you look through the menu?" She seemed awfully perky for working so hard, Frisk thought. She figured that it was their policy for polite servers, though her face had shown relief while her group quickly ordered their drinks, ordering a margarita for herself. The menu itself was fairly large, but easy to read. It didn't take very long for everyone to figure out what they wished to dine on... Toriel described Monsters and Humans being similar when it came to routine. Papyrus was (obviously) ordering Spaghetti and Ham. Sans was much more to the classics, a Burger with fries. Toriel was slightly dissapointed that they didn't have the snails that she was looking for, so she decided to settle on fish with a side of salad instead. Frisk herself wanted something simple yet filling, so pancakes did her just fine. It wasn't long for their drinks to come in, primarily sodas with Frisk being the only one to order an alcoholic drink. With the orders given, Tahoma happily rung them up before continuing her duties as a server.

The wait time was filled with conversation about the modern world now. The three that knew of San's plan avoided the subject, so that unwanted ears wouldn't hear them. Papyrus was very excited for Mettaton and his band coming into town, taking a small vacation from the many tours that they make across the globe. He exclaimed how he would exchange autographs with him, and challenge him to his made up game. Toriel was exclaiming with glee about how much better children are getting along with the humans, and that many of them have become lifetime friends... she can feel it! Sans and Frisk could only listen in, enjoying their stories as they sipped their beverages. Sans nudged Frisk while Toriel and Papyrus babbled to each other.

"Say Frisk, you notice those monsters over there?" He pointed to the table forward and to the left, two large female monsters were chatting amongst themselves. They were adorned with a lot of jewelry, with a female human dressed the same way joining in their conversation. They looked wealthy to Frisk, while she gave Sans a confused tip of her head. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Aw sorry, I keep on forgetting that you're not into this kind of stuff. A co-worker of mine mentioned them, they're said to very rich and high end wives of big corporate guys. They were saying that there was an article about them, how they live their lives at high-end luxary. I never really care for that kind of gab, it's pretty boring if it's not really relevant. What's interesting is why they're eating at a Penny's... might wanna keep an eye on them kid." Frisk nodded her head in understanding. Whenever Sans pointed out a person, he meant what he says about keeping her sights about her. From what she understands, he either means that there's a (mostly harsh) life lesson involved, or it'll be something hilarious; usually something stupid that they're about to do. From his tone, it seemed to be the former. They noticed their food coming in, all stomachs seemed to synchronize in harmony while she placed their dishes in front of them.

"Ah man, you guys loaded me! I hope you guys enjoy the food~" She gave a small wink to finish her line, only to get called on by her manager. To their surprise, he was a relatively short human, about half of Frisk's current height. His black hair nearly blended with their carpet, but his pale complexion kept such a thing from happening. He looked fairly flabbergausted himself, so he took a deep breath before he talked.

"Doll, you've been a lifesaver! Cindy's taken care of what she needed to, so you've got your night back. You can go home whenever you'd like, thanks for coming in."

"Oh really? OH what a relief! I hope the crowd dies down a little bit, Cindy's been awfully busy lately. Thank you for letting me know, Mr. Brown." He waved her a farewell as he returned to his duties, while Tahoma took a moment to enjoy her newfound freedom from her duties. Papyrus immediately scooted over to let her sit, even offering some of the spaghetti to the tired woman. Their conversations continued as many of the guests have left to spend the rest of their night how they wished. Tahoma explained how her co-worker Cindy was supposed to have her shift today, only to have an emergency at home take place. In turn for taking her shift, the manager offered her a day off on Monday too.

"Oh my, that is quite a nice offer from your manager. He seems like a lovely little fellow." Toriel took another bite of her salmon, eating it slowly so she could enjoy it's mild, fishy flavor. Frisk had finished her meal quickly, though was copying Toriel when it came to her drink.

"He really is! Probably the best manager i've ever had, oddly enough. He's strict when he needs to be, but understands when life gets in the way. If I were to be a manager, he'd be my main inspiration...not that I would want that responsibility to begin with. I'm just doing this job until I can find a career that I really do wa-"

"You, young waitress! Where is our dessert? We ordered it ten minutes ago!" Tahoma was interrupted by the demanding request from her previous responsibility, shrugging it off while she continued.

"Sorry, forgot for a moment that I was done for the night. Anyway, I've been thinking about a career that I really would want to do... I haven't told Dave yet, but i've dec-"

"GIRL! Girl, do NOT make us call the manager out on you! Slacking off such beautiful guests... this is improper!" The elephant trunked monster humphed in agreement, with the human woman doing the same. The human blound Cindy had arrived to their table, hurriedly apologizing for her lateness while she delivered their order.

"Oh I am SO sorry, our chefs are cooking up a storm in there! Sorry about the late order, I hope y'all enjoy~" Such a sweet sendoff of their food only recieved a very bitter response from the horned Antelope Monster.

"Oh it's not YOU, though I AM rather bothered that you took so long to deliver our meal. Why is the waitress over there being LAZY and IGNORING us? We were here guests, it's improper and quite frankly rude to leave us 'hanging' on our own accord, and leaving YOU all by your lonesome in this devilishly large crowd of people. YOU Girl, what do you have to say for yourself?" Tahoma turned her head to her previous guests of honor, only to have Cindy pipe up.

"I apologize mam, but I DID remind you that I would be taking over her position for tonight. Tahoma was merely covering my shift while I was gone, and there's not many tables here left. Why, dear Miranda is also helping me! Just on the other side of our fine establishme-"

"I beg your pardon? I was not asking YOU! My, no wonder we've stopped coming to such lowly food establishments! They have NO form of manners! Since you have been such a good sport, i'll let you in on a secret. When you are serving your guests, you are only to speak when it is appropriate for your position. So I will polietly ask you to remain quiet, while this degenerate speaks for her actions!" She pointed one of her three fingers directly at Tahoma, whom stood in shock while she stood up to confront their group. Tahoma knew that she had to remain careful of her words as well as her actions... even if she may be off-duty, she was still in her workplace. If they complain to her manager, she could wind up fired. She cleared her throat as well as her mind to keep herself calm.

"I apologize miss, I was quite exaghsted after my shift, and wished to speak with my friends. I wish to commend Cindy for doing a wonderful job of covering for me, while you enjoyed your ravishing meals. I do ask that you try to enjoy the rest of your evening, you wouldn't want your ice cream to melt now would you?" She did her very best to avoid any sarcastic tones in her voice while she delivered her message; which was not recieved as well as she hoped.

"Well, that was QUITE an unexpected performance, wouldn't you agree... ladies? She did a FINE job of pretending that she was REMOTELY as close to the brilliance of us, that sniveling tone is such a turnoff. You know, there is GOOD reason why little sluts like you are hired at such a terrible place as this. You need no manners, only to appear friendly... but you know what? That will NEVER be enough to be a fine server. In fact, such service is bottom of the barrel where we come from, don't you two agree?" Both of the women wore visiouse smirks while they nodded wholeheartedly, with the only human of their group chipping in.

"Oooooh yeah, tsk tsk. I don't remember why my husband suggested this place, he's too much of a food man. He could eat in a dumpster and be perfectly happy, so long as it didn't taste like old socks! Speaking of dumpster trash, why do you bother hanging around here? I mean this place is bad, but you're the icing on the shit-cake." All three giggled at her insults, Tahoma ticking on her last nerve. From the corner of his eye, Sans noticed that her manager had done the same, waiting in the corner in awe while Tahoma took the verbal beatings from the trio.

"Oh my Tamantha, you truly are funny. Though i'd have to say that this... poor excuse of a worker, could agree. I remember overhearing that you were off of your duties... but not even your manager knows the true mannerisms required at an eatery. Even while you were working, you had forgotten to refill my wine... though in a way i'm grateful. I've had better wine from a department store!" SPLASH! She finished off her insults by pouring all of her remaining glass into Tahoma's face, which dripped into her white undershirt, bra, and red over-vest. She was on the border of rage when Mr. Brown finally decided to step in. The atmosphere changed to intensity and worriment, as the remaining patrons could only watch in awe as her previous customers would dare pull such a move. It took all of San's strength to not remove himself from his seat, as well as using some of his magic to keep Papyrus in place... as well as his mouth shut. Both Frisk and Toriel were in too much in shock to truly respond, though both women felt similar anger boiling in their recently filled bellies.

"Pardon me ladies, but I don't appreciate you harassing one of my workers. I'm afraid i'll have to ask you to pay your bills, then leave." He sounded blunt, with a hint of politeness to it. The women only giggled as they exited their seats, not bothering to look at Tahoma as she stood there dumbfounded by their rudeness.

"Oh please, our banter was warranted! People like her make me embarrassed to be a part of the monster race! If it wasn't for the members of society, such as myself, putting her IN her place, then who knows how much scum would run amok? You have to break what thinks is fine, so that she could possibly repair herself again... Oh shoot, I couldn't PRETEND to care about her well-being. She's not a monster in the least... she's pure garbage. We did not enjoy the meal, so we shall NOT be paying a damn coin! C'mon ladies, let's bail and go somewhere worth our time." She finished her rant with a small, yet dramatic pose. Both of the women nearly clapped their hands in delight, the trio about to take their leave until Papyurs stood up. Sans was amazed at his brother... he broke his magic's grasp! Sans silently slapped himself for not being quicker, watching on as the younger held onto Tahoma's shoulders and gained the ladies attention.

"Wait! I, the Great Papyrus, have a mental conundrum that I need you to clarify for me." His boldness attracted them, while the manager began to phone the local police department. They gave their attention while he continued, amused smirks plastered on their faces.

"You see, you call this woman here trash. If she is a monster like you are, then how on earth would you also not be garbage? Why would you insult more garbage, if you're already trash?" The trunked woman and human quickly lost their glee, quickly replaced with annoyance at his question. The Antelope refused to remove her smile, coyly taking the role to answer amongst her group.

"Oh STUPID boy, we're NOT the same! We may be defined as monsters, but she is not worthy of such a title! Why, did you not see how she treated us?"

"She treated you just fine. You have confused the Great Papyrus yet again with such a question. From what I have seen, she gave you no reason to react negatively to her presence. I, the great Papyrus, have a theory about your meanness! The theory? That you belittle others to make yourselves feel better. Because if this were a time that called for treating others fairly, you would have shown nothing but respect to a person that showed you the same. If it were that occasion, then she would have treated YOU like the trash that you make yourselves out as. Pray tell, three ladies, would be the reason to be such bitches to a random person that has done you no wrong?" For those that did not know of Papyrus, they spouted their approval of his speech. Some applause could be heard, along with a 'Yes' 'That's totally right!' 'You guys are just assholes to her!'. For those that did... their mouths were agape. Papyrus used a curse word!

The trio began to feel uncomfortable with his insult, fully showing their true colors as their expressions changed to malicious and angry. The human was the one to intervene.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! Are you such an idiot as to see how you're not wrong! I mean damn, we're the victims of mis-service here! SHE didn't do her job, yet you blame US for calling her out on it? Why did we come here, guys? Everyone around these parts are a bunch of arrogant animals that don't know the difference between a shit and a sandwhich! I'm sooooo done, SOOOO done with being here! Let's leave!"

"Good thing we got here on time. Ladies, you have not only refused rightful payment of your meal purchases, but you're also causing a disturbance of the peace. You three are coming with us." The police had finally arrived. The Boar monster was accompanied by three other human members, each with a pair of handcuffs in case the situation became dire. The trio before them quickly switched from anger to despair as they lead them out of the door, their cries completely washed over by the applause of the staff members and diners in Penny's. Papyrus and Tahoma sat back down, with Tahoma still wide-eyed by that incredible scene.

"Oh Tahoma dear! Are you okay? You look a little in shock still." She leaned over to feel her forehead beginning to burn, watching as she finally blinked her eyes; wet from tears. Frisk and Sans took a moment to breathe from the intense situation, with Sans also recovering the little magic he spent on Papyrus to begin with.

"Heh, I gotta say Pap, you really blew them away. I'm proud of yah buddy, that was really brave." Frisk nodded in agreement, wearing a wide smile for the proud skeleton. He didn't seem to respond as much to the praise as they expected he would, instead leaning his gaze to the victim. He could see her eyes beginning to rain, patting the top of her head as a way to try and get her to stop.

"I command you to stop the waterworks at once! I, the great Papyrus, will not sit next to a person that is sad at such an amazing meal! Do not mind such evil ladies, karma will take care of them for you... like the police station." His large smile warmed up the room, or at least he hoped it would. Papyrus then froze, the shock of Tahoma's sudden hug threatened to have him squirm out of her grasp. Papyrus loved giving hugs, but he's not used to getting them first.

"...Thank you Pap." Though he didn't have skin, he could feel the wetness of her face rub into his chest-bones while she hugged him. Frisk and Toriel let out a small giggle, though a quick glance showed that Sans didn't share the delight with them. He nearly looked concerned... but quickly shook it off as his eye-sockets bore a smile too.

"Alright, I think we've had enough for today. Let's pay for our meal and get out of here.

* * *

Mr. Brown had treated them well that night... offered to pay for their entire meal! Tahoma was also relived to hear that she got Monday AND Tuesday off to cool down from her previous customers... which nearly had her crying again. She couldn't believe her luck, having such kind and wonderful friends to watch over her. During her drive home, she contemplated giving Papyrus something in return... maybe she could give him a really cool Christmas gift this year. She'll have to sneak his desired gift out of the skeleton, and may need backup information from Frisk and Sans. She was beginning to find Papyrus more and more unreal with each passing experience with him... On one hand, he's just a goofball that most wouldn't put past the mentality of a child. Always playing games, seeming so aloof to the world around him. Yet he was extremely clever when he wanted to be... outlooks really CAN be deceiving. In a way, she felt inspired by him; not his overbearing attitude or blown up ego, but because of one thing..

Papyrus was courageous. He may have never faced Mortal Danger, but he would face it with a smile. He stood up and straight up defended her in his own, almost sly way. He never hesitated on a decision, and hardly ever regrets one when he makes it. She's noticed that he puts his heart into whatever he does, and isn't afraid of getting hurt over the consequences. She couldn't believe she was admitting it to herself... but she wanted to be more like Papyrus. By the time she was done contemplating, she was already home and woven into her bed-sheets. Dave had passed out a few moments before she had gotten home, seeing the freshly opened can of soda still on his bedside. She decided to follow Papyrus's advice, and not let some mean old bitches get her mood down.

Meanwhile, the entire group had headed to their own beds. Sans had more business to attend to, knowing full well that he needed to talk with his former king at some point. He never minded talking with Asgore, and rather enjoyed his company when they could just hang out... but with the recent incident between his former spouse, he became much more reclusive... or sometimes just downright annoying about it. He called him over his teleprompter.

"Ah Sans! It's so good to finally get your call." His eyes looked tired, but nothing else has changed of the beast since his kingship of the Underground. Sans cleared his throat.

"Yeah sorry about that, dinner went on for much longer than we thought. Story for another night. ...So, are the preparations complete?" Sans was tired, VERY tired. He hadn't had much sleep, and wanted to catch the sleep bus quick before another call pulled him away from the stop. Asgore understood his fatigue, clearing his own throat for his response.

"I cannot wait for such a story. Yes, the preparations are done. It will take place in the United States of America for now, then we'll migrate your program to others if we have reached a success. Though the only downside is that we'll have to wait for the New Year... I tried discussing it with the officials, but they refused to budge for any earlier." Sans nodded in understanding, his plastered grin widening at the good news.

"Aw well, we can't really help that. ...Asgore, thanks for all the help. I didn't mean to bring this stuff up so suddenly, but it kinda happened at a bad time for everyone. If this works... then hopefully Monsters can finally leave in peace with each other."

"I hope so too Sans... I believe in you and your genius. It sounds so simple... but I feel that it shall be a very effective. Now, I shall wish you a good night. Have very many good dreams, and tell the family that I said 'Hello'." With the teleprompter off and his body hitting the blankets, Sans took no time to think... just to sleep.

* * *

Frisk decided to review her homework one last time before going to bed. It hadn't taken long, considering that she was prompt enough to do it all ahead of time. However, like Toriel had always taught her, you could never be TOO careful. As she shut off the lights, a small smile started to creep up her face. After the events of tonight... she knew a certain someone that would love to go on an adventure. She had decided, that the New Year would bring a new chapter for the both of them...

She fell asleep, filled to the brim with DETERMINATION.

* * *

Author's Note: I decided to make this chapter much longer than intended, to help make up for my absence. I wish to try and play out each chapter like an episode, rather than just parts of one. Let me know in the comments if this change is a good one, or if I should stick with my past style. Have a good one.


	8. A Christmas Special!

Authors Note: ...Hi! I wish to include more of the other main characters into my story, and try to stray away from focusing so much on my Original Characters. I feel that it's bound to happen, but it wouldn't hurt to attempt a reasonably realistic story. I only wish to make Toby Fox proud... he probably wouldn't read this, but juuuuust in case. For the rest that aren't him, you're just as important. I hope you all enjoy!

P.S, this is going to be the longest chapter by far. I've decided to keep my word and create chapters based on episode lengths... this one being a full-out Christmas Special. Hope y'all don't mind.

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All copyright and ownership belong to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

The magical time of year has finally arrived. The air had a small chill that crept into the many homes of their current neighborhood. Unlike Snowdin, their current state never had much of a cold... at least in their area. It didn't matter to the excited inhabitants, as there was only a day left for Christmas morning. The gifts that they had promised to each other were indeed wrapped, with the many decorations they had collected over the years filling their precious home. Toriel planned to spend her day preparing for the amazing feasts that they would have in the morning and evening, with knowledge of the holiday favorites that everyone enjoyed... Roasted Ham, cold potato salad, and of course, Spaghetti on Rye. Sans and Undyne have kept themselves busy with work, bringing in the needed income for such a day as December 25th. Both had put many hours in, thanks to the overwhelming demands of the people for their services. Frisk herself had time to relax, enjoying the time spent with her family as well as her favorite hobby, solving complex puzzles both online and offline. She noticed that Alphys had indeed remained home, deciding to give her a visit.

Undyne and Alphys had a much more freelance lifestyle, with many of their items spread across their living room and dining area. Gadgets and workout equipment could be spotted left and right, along with an incredibly large screen that hung above it all. From what Frisk had remembered, their bedroom was still off limits to anyone whom tried to enter; the rest of the rooms jam-packet with the rest of Alphy's equipment for her research. The Pale yellow monster looked to Frisk with a gleeful expression, dancing her fingers across her desk while the brunette took a seat in front of her.

"Oh hey Frisk! Long time no see huh? I-I'm sorry that I haven't been able to visit you as often this year... what with the projects that i've packed myself with and planning Undyne's tour, we've been really busy. So, what have you been up to recently?" Unlike when she had first met the scientist, she had a much more confident demeanor than before. With Undyne being her future spouse, her encouragement never met an end. Along with the rest of her friends (including Frisk herself), she had grown into her own as a person. Frisk retold of her school experiences... how tough the classes of been. She also bragged about the friends that she's met, though had shown disappointment that they lived so far away; though Frisk went to a local college, many of the students lived in dorms or apartments near the area. Undyne nodded her head in agreement, though gave her a thumbs up when she said that her visit with her parents went well.

"Oh, i'm so relived to hear about that! ...Y'know, you really are quite amazing Frisk. You've managed to make so many friends... and you've kept everyone that you know and love in the loop when it comes to what you're doing. Heh, I wish I made as much of an effort to connect with people as you have." Frisk shook her head in disapproval, further explaining how draining it could be; praising Undyne for her ability to concentrate on one thing... and to do well with it. The comment caused Alphys to blush a deep pink, though she cleared her throat to prevent from getting nervous.

"Aw, you're just a sweetheart! I guess you are right about that, I have been pouring all of my effort into my works, it makes releasing them to the public that much more rewarding... Say, I remembered about our conversation from awhile ago. Y-you were asking about... Flowey. Well... I haven't been able to figure out a way to bring him back, not fully anyway." A look of disappointment spread across Frisk's face, but quickly perked up when Alphys continued.

"However, there may be a chance. I brought up the subject with other scientists that I've met, and they were quite intrigued too. They brought up the idea... Oh it seems so impossible, but it was an idea. T-they mentioned the idea of TRANSFORMING Flowey into a more sentient being, permanently. They theorize that, if we can pull this deed off, that his soul will return to it's former state." Though Frisk seemed excited for the information, she titled her head in confusion.

"Oh it's more simple logic than what you would think. Y'see, the reason that Flowey is the way he is... it's because he was injected with pure determination, right? Well when monsters die, a part of their personality... a very small part of their former being, turns into dust and into the object the dust is spilled upon. You remember how Undyne reacted when Papyrus tried to mess with her prized Teddy Bear?" Frisk nodded her head for a yes, starting to connect the pieces as Alphys spoke.

"Well that's because he is the remaining part of Undyne's younger brother, who'd died while he was very sick. There's a reason why she treasures that thing... it's because, in a way, he's still around. He can see and hear whatever's around him, despite not being alive anymore. Unlike Human souls, which can turn into ghosts or go into the unknown because of determination, monsters stick around for as long as the item itself remains in tact. So in Flowey's case, he really is still Asriel... but more alive than what he should be. Because his soul faded away when he died, he doesn't have compassion, right? Well, it may be because he's purely a flower, which is a living thing that has no way of feeling compassion... the biology doesn't allow it. So if we were to turn him back into a monster physically, the magic may be able to use the little amount of Asriel left to repair himself, turning Asriel whole again. It's a long shot... it may go terribly wrong. Frisk, even though you're far younger than I am, you are much wiser. I'll let you decide what you'd like to do... I-I wanna help you however I can. I won't expect you to do it... because I would never ask someone to go down to the Underground again. But if you DO, I want you to have this." She handed Frisk a small box, decorated with a little cartoon cat. She opened it to find a small syringe, filled with a clear liquid that she couldn't recognize.

"That right there is a tranquilizer... which I made especially for Flowey. If you decide to retrieve him, I wouldn't want him twisting your mind or physically hurting you... Well, not like he could EVER convince you from your mindset. It should make the transport much easier. Just make sure if you decide this, and if you feel that this is right, to bring him straight to me. I'll get in contact with the other guys I talked with, and we'll get started right away." Her reassuring smile gave Frisk a moment of determination, causing her to return such a smile. After several more minutes of conversing, she had decided to return back to her own home... she didn't wish for Sans to figure out her current plan. She respected Sans, and truly valued his opinion. However, she wouldn't let him get in the way of saving Asriel.

* * *

"Thanks again Mr. Brown, and have a Very Merry Holiday!" The freedom that was promised was delivered with a wave of farewell as she stepped out of Penny's. Like her neighbors and her father, Tahoma had been hard at work to save up for tomorrow. She had already bought gifts for everyone... even though she hadn't known them for very long, they were still some of the best friends that she's ever had! Deciding to play it smart with her finances, she bought their gifts in the form of figurines, based on the amazing experiences that she's had with them; writing each a (hopefully) touching note to show that they've truly meant a lot to her. She gave both Cindy and Mr. Brown's theirs early, knowing full well that she would not see them for the next week that she had off. Being the long legged monster that she was helped her speed walk home early, their abode hardly decorated. Dave wasn't much for celebrating any holiday, with the exception of birthdays. There was a list of things that annoyed her about living with Dave, his lack of holiday spirit being one of them. She tried her best not to put much mind into it, feeling too much enthusiasm for her Christmas day ahead. She'd been thinking long and hard about what to make for Dave this year for the dinner, deciding on nothing but pork. Bacon, ham quarters, and even more bacon! She could hardly sit still in the shower, singing about how beautiful tomorrow was going to be...

Dave had enough of her singing! He slammed on the door to tell her to keep quiet while he slept, only to get a giggle and even louder singing in return. His grunt of frustration came before the slam of his door... He hadn't slept in the past week. Tahoma knew that she was working hard, but Dave had even more hours put in then she had. Letting go of all her frustrations as she exited the shower, the brown-furred monster was ready to take the day on, full Christmas ahead!

* * *

"Oh my, we have quite a few guests this year, don't we Sans?" The delighted goat was stressed, but in a fashion that she appreciated. She experienced more joy with each passing holiday season, looking over her photo album not only let her reminisce on such wonderful times that she's had, but it inspired her to do even better this year! Most of the decor had already been set, thanks to the help of Undyne, Alphys, and Papyrus; of course. Her large paws panned over Frisk, watching her grow up from the little girl she once knew to the grown woman she was now truly filled her with pride, grateful to be there every step of the way. Sans was looking over the photos as well, relieved to see his favorite goat in such a happy state.

"Heh, yeah. We're gonna need more food this year especially... Say, have you seen Papyrus? He's been gone all day." Though the disappearance of his brother was worrisome, the dwarfed skeleton didn't seem as panicked as Toriel expected. Ever since he's made more friends around the local neighborhoods, it wasn't common for him to be home as often. Though Tahoma had become one of his better friends, the local kids at the skate park seemed to enjoy his games, too. They were so enamored with him, they all started to wear shirts with 'Cool Dude' on them! San's permanent grin widened at the thought, his brother was finally getting the friends he's been craving for so long. He secretly thanked Tahoma for spending so much time with him... informing him of the skate-park was a solid move on her part.

"Hmmm, if I remember correctly, Papyrus was worrying about gifts. He's so poor about it, always waiting until the last minute to buy his gifts! Your brother is probably shopping right now, I have confidence that he'll be back before tonight's cocoa." She lifted herself from the chair while she closed her book, putting it back in it's space among st her book collection while walking into the kitchen; to prepare the many cold dishes that she planned on serving tomorrow evening. The short skeleton decided to find his brother... he was more confident that Papyrus could handle himself, but he didn't want to risk his younger brother getting lost throughout the shopping cloud. He went into their garage and noticed that his sports car was gone, deciding to teleport to the mall instead; didn't want to waste the gas if Papyrus could just drive them both back.

The mall was completely flustered with both monsters and humans alike, rushing for their gift purchases at the very last moment before their holiday. Sans brought up his cellphone and rung it up right outside of the gates, saving some background noise so the call would actually be worth it. A few ticks later, he finally answered.

"Sans? Why must you call the great Papyrus at this hour?" Looking down on his watch, it read 13:50. The blue-magic user could instantly tell that Papyrus was trying to hide something, figuring that he came here to get him his gift. Sans resolved to keep his assumptions to himself, he wouldn't mind messing around with him a little bit.

"Oh I thought i'd stop by and see how you were doin' Pap. Toriel could use some help cooking at home, and coca's gonna happen tonight!" He let the words dance on his tongue as they came out, hoping to tantalize Papyrus into leaving the bustling building. His teasing did start up a ruckus, which Sans considered a win for himself.

"WHAT? I, the great Papyrus, shall be the one cooking the Christmas dinner... but i'm a little caught up right now. There is many important things to be done in this fine mall, including finding Undyne the perfect gift! Now if you'll excuse me-" Sans intervened before Papyrus could hang up the phone.

"Aw, how long's that gonna take? Say, i'm a little bored. Mind if I join you?" He held back a giggle while his flabbergasted brother stuttered his next set of words, trying to dodge Sans coming in. He let out a heavy sigh of relief after a few moments away from the phone, his tone sounding disappointed.

"UH, I guess that'll be fine. BUT! You are not allowed to look into the great Papyrus's bags. We shall be at the CheezBurgs." He promptly hung up, leaving Sans a little stumped by the term... we. Shaking off the weird feeling he had inside of his gut, he traversed past the civilians to the said food place. The mall here was a moderate size, with about 35 shops strewn about it; dis-including the food court. The humans and monsters were dressed in many hues of greens and reds, a few in red and orange garbs to celebrate Kwanzaa. The center of the corridor resided the Santa Claus that many children went to see... it made Sans laugh a little bit. He could imagine how excited Papyrus must've been to sit with Santa, there's not a chance that he hasn't yet. It hadn't taken him long to get to their meeting place, considering how light he was on his bony feet. He was surprised to see that Papyrus was sitting with Tahoma, both having bags from their shopping adventure. They waved him over with a smile, returning a widened grin while taking a seat.

"Heya Sans, how's it going?" Tahoma seemed awfully chirpy, noticing that she was very much into dressing up. A long sweater dress that screamed Christmas, as well as little bells that hung off of her horns. Both of her arms held a back in each, though they did not look very heavy.

"Eh, could be better, could be worse. It could be a bunch of things really... but I'm doing alright. What brought you two here on the 24th? Isn't it a little late to, y'know, connect any missing dots?" The ambiguous wording completely went over his brother's head, but it caught Tahoma's attention. She forced down a blush while Papyrus cleared his throat, hoping that Sans didn't notice her discomfort.

"Sans, sales are an important part of the gift buying processes! If you cannot get the desired item on the day of Black Friday, then you MUST come during Christmas Eve, where many deals are to be had! There is a greatness in getting a good deal, and with being as great as I am, I MUST hold up to those standards! Now, we have both finished buying the items that we've needed to buy. We shall return home to wrap them... without your interference!" Sans quickly took his bags and made his exit, rushing to his super fantastic, never to be beaten in a race sports car. Tahoma and Sans began their moderate walking pace, Tahoma trying to find a way to break the awkward tension between the two.

"Tahoma, you've been a real good friend to my brother. I know it might be a little awkward, especially when it's coming from me. But you've done a lot of good for him, so you should know that we're all grateful for it." She began to blush a little while he spoke, feeling more lighthearted while they walked. She kept her cool while he continued, knowing full well that it was Sans... when he was being sincere, it could have an unpleasant catch.

"I do gotta warn you about something though. I'm gonna be blunt with saying that my brother... he cares a lot about people. But, he doesn't really 'get' what romance is. You might wanna just let it go while you're ahead." They had just past the front doors that went to the outside, Tahoma nearly speechless and with a complete blush spread across her cheeks. Sans knew that he hit the nail right on the head... he didn't want to have to say a thing, but the girl had been too good to his family to let it continue. She shook her face and gave her response.

"Woah woah, i'm not, y'know, INTO Papyrus! No offense to you or him... but he's kinda like a child; it'd just be weird. If I were to date anyone... i'd need them to be, y'know, an ADULT. You're getting romance mixed up with... eh, ...augh, admiration." They both stood there, right before the parking lot. Sans couldn't tell if she was being honest or trying to fib, so he kept his stance while she kept a straight face.

"I honestly hate to admit it... well, at least to him. Y'know how he is, with the skull the size of this friggen place! He would never let me live it down, or even himself. Ha, I guess I just wish I was more like him; with how brave and aloof he is. He isn't the kind of brave that'll face danger, but he's not afraid to be who he is... and that's something that i've learned to respect. I hope you understand what I mean, Sans." She delivered a small smile for reassurance, continuing her walk out to the car.

He didn't buy it, not for a damn second. He sighed, mentally deciding to just let it go himself. He had no evidence that she was wrong... if anything, she could be completely right, and he could be reading into the situation more than what he should be. However, he knew himself better; and he knew his brother. This wasn't the first time a monster or even a human took a romantic interest in him, once they came back from the Underground. It didn't happen often, but something about his height and overall goofy nature has had one or two women looking for a date... even Mettaton tried. Alas, not a single one noticed that he didn't, leaving either broken-hearted or pissed off. He only wished that he could believe Tahoma... but then again, she's pretty different. Maybe he should just lay off... to see if she's right? He finished his drawn out thought-fest and entered the passenger seat, eager to relax his aching feet-bones on their very comfortable couch.

"Alright, let's get on the road Pap."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride home, Papyrus. I'll see you guys later." Tahoma attempted to bid off her farewell, but was cut short by the tall monster rushing in front of her.

"Wait, aren't we supposed to wrap our gifts together? Explain yourself to the great Papryus!" Tahoma almost felt embarrassed, and a little guilty for cancelling their plans. She felt too uncomfortable after what Sans accused her of, and wished to prove her point. She truly cared about Papyrus, but she didn't want his older brother to think it ever went past friendship. Sighing, she simply walked around him, turning her body towards the duo; careful to not look to hard at his slightly annoyed face.

"Oh sorry Pap, don't you remember? I told yah that Dave was asleep... he should be until tomorrow morning. Now's the perfect chance to prep dinner without him seeing any of it... besides, I don't want you spoiling what gifts that I bought for everyone. Have a Merry Christmas guys." Again she attempted to walk across the street, only to hear San's voice ring through the echo that was their empty street.

"Didn't Pap invite you over for Christmas dinner? Why would yah prepare two dinners? I can eat as much as the next guy, but I don't think having two pairs of arms also gives you two stomachs." Her tail twitched in remembrance to his offer, completely forgetting the invitation that he gave. Taking a moment of silence to remember, he had invited both herself and Dave to their home for Christmas about a month ago. She gave a small smile, hoping to rub off the slight confusion.

"Oh YEAH, I completely forgot about that! I'll let Dave know to be there tomorrow... and we'll bring our own stuff to share. I'll chat with you guys tomorrow." Thankful that they ceased her going home, she walked through her door and let out a puff of relief. Just a few months living here, and she was already getting flustered around her friends! She took a mental note to keep Sans words in mind... and to try and persuade him that she really wasn't interested in... ugh, Papyrus. Dave had already been down the stairs, elated at the sight of the bags. Though he would never admit it outright, he truly loved receiving gifts, no matter what the actual box or bag contained. He let out a hearty laugh while Tahoma rushed up their stairs, unaware of her flustered state.

Meanwhile, Papyrus zoomed his way inside of his own bedroom, rushing his gift-wrapping before someone could spot the item of choice. Luckily the babbling skeleton was smart enough to close his door fully, lest he save a prying eye. Thanks to Toriel's teachings, he could wrap the gifts without someone pre-seeing it's insides... the past few years have left everyone moderately surprised! He hoped that this year, they would be enamored with his gifts... after all, with someone as great as himself, why WOULDN'T they love them? Frisk gave a gentle knock on the door, just in time for Papyrus to finish up and store them safely. He opened his door, which he nearly had to duck under with his height. Frisk was dressed in a delightful Christmas sweater, a pair of Rudolph earrings hanging from her earlobes. She brought her unique smile, checking to make sure that Papyrus was doing okay.

"Well I'm doing just dandy, dear Frisk! I, the great Papyrus, could never be sad on the day of Christmas Eve... or Christmas! I am enthralled with the thought of what Santa had brought me this year, so my mood could never turn sour! Eh say, where is that dastardly Undyne? She should've been here by now!" He nearly stomped on the floor in frustration, but stopped mid-air... he remembered how angry Toriel gets when he stomps around. Frisk shook her head, confirming that Undyne had not shown up yet. He put his green-gloved hand up to his chin, contemplating just where she could be. Frisk explained that she wasn't at her own home either, with it just being Alphys. Papyrus shook his head and laughed, remembering his all powerful cellphone that he kept in his scarf pocket. He dialed her up, putting it on loudspeaker so both he and Frisk could hear. She immediately picked up.

"Yo crazy bones, what's up?" There was no background noise, so Frisk could almost tell immediately that she was indoors, and somewhere decently quiet. Her voice levels were also down... could she be at the library? Undyne wasn't the reading sort, but she couldn't shake off the assumption.

"Where have you been all this time?! We will need you here in one hour for Hot Coca and to help prepare the dinner for tomorrow! We have many guests this year." Papyrus did sound quite demanding, which would have shocked just about everyone... well, a few years back. Papyrus still held a high respect for Undyne... but he showed no fear to whatever wrath that she had, for the most part. She gave a harsh grunt of annoyance, only to quickly stop while she answered.

"Ugh, we don't have THAT many more! It's just the neighbors and Asgore. Huh, surprised that he accepted the invite this year... ahem, anyway, i'll be back when i'm damn well ready. You better get started in the meantime... you shouldn't have to make Toriel do all the work herself! Later." After a hasty hangup of her phone, Papyrus stormed back downstairs to follow her orders. Frisk could only giggle as she followed his steps, secretly hoping that she wouldn't have to help out with much. She enjoyed helping out her adopted mother, but she was also a young adult... she wanted to be lazy while she had the chance! Plus Papyrus gave her a very unique crossword puzzle before he left for the mall... with this one, the letters could go in any direction, so long as they connected for a word. The few that she's already solved were shaped like a worm, going back and forth in almost a zipper pattern!

* * *

"Ugh, sorry about that Chaser. So, do we have a deal?" Her wide smile panicked the small human before her. He was dark-shinned, with platinum blond hair that brought out his green eye-contacts. He wasn't necessarily short, but he was compared to her towering 6'3 in height, a mere four inches away from Papyrus. Her eye patch and stylish red hair cut (consistent of a ponytail) hasn't changed, which kept her intimating appearance. She wore her classic black T-shirt, both that and her jean jacket were short sleeved; which showed off her lean and green muscle. Her white tattoo of the infinity symbol could be seen on her right shoulder, a match to Alphy's dark one that laid on her left. The 5'6 man nearly stuttered, but kept his wits about him.

"Erm yes, it's a deal. Just to reiterate, you want my Kitty Kitty at the mall Manga collection, in exchange for a year of lessons at your gym?" He nearly blushed at the thought... he's been wanting to beef himself up for years! Undyne nodded her head in agreement, trying her best not to lose her temper. Normally, she wouldn't be talking with nerds like this... well, with the exception of ONE nerd. However, the original collection of Kitty Kitty was very hard to find... it was a large series composed of many manga strains. This particular set was only released about 10 years ago, and is a pain in the ass to find. They shook their hands in agreement, each presenting their deal. He brought out the large box, wrapping paper set on the table for her to use on the spot. She presented him with a key-card to the gym, along with a schedule list that lasted for the next several months. After a careful examination of the books, she was confident that Alphys would adore this gift. She immediately began to wrap things up with the gleeful man was on his way.

"I can't wait for her to see this. I bet she'll cry out of happiness... this year, I will be the one that gives the absolute BEST gifts! Papyrus got nothing on me!" She was shushed as she spoke aloud, resisting the urge to challenge the librarian as she finished up the wrapping. Ever since they began celebrating Christmas, Papyrus and Undyne secretly competed for who give the best gifts. Though they both tried to get a judge, no one would admit whom was better. Undyne felt that she won nearly every year... though in recent times, Papyrus has definitely upped his gifting game. Last year he bought everyone a souvenir from his trip to Japan... lucky bastard got invited by Mettaton and his merry band. She cackled at remembering his stories... Mettaton wanted to get in his pants; it was a vein attempt. Like he even had anything in those pants to begin with, the thought was still pretty hilarious in her own book. She downed the gallon of water that she kept next to her desk, knowing that the sun would try to dry out her skin if she didn't keep hydrated. She didn't notice until a few weeks after they could all come to the surface, but skin damage was a prominent thing she had to watch out for. She mentally cursed her scaled before making her exit, heading towards Toriel's place to put the winning gift under their tree.

"Oh Frisk dear, it's okay! It's just one of our old cups, i'll start sweeping it up right away. Why don't you go enjoy yourself for a little while? Take advantage of your vacation while you have the chance." For once, Frisk felt embarrassed. She couldn't believe that she bumped into Papyrus, of all people. She was silently thankful that it did happen... for one, she got the break that she wanted. For two? ...Eh, she didn't like that cup much to begin with. It stained easily, and was used for art projects anyway. She rushed up the stairs, prepared for a well-deserved nap. The door suddenly burst open, many decorated boxes of all shades making its presents as the holder strolled through the door.

"Guess who's back? From wrapping the GREATEST, GIFTS, EVER?!" Her bombarding presence caused everyone in the room to cease up a little bit, but just barely. Sans strolled over to their very large Christmas Tree... it was fake (due to Toriel's surprising allergy towards the actual plant), but it was very hefty none-the less. Once the placements have been done, the entire underneath of the tree was completely covered; Several boxes being placed atop another to conserve space. It was truly a sight to behold, tomorrow was going to be a beautiful day. Sans gave a small sigh of content.

"Saaaaaay, nice wrapping that you've done there. If I didn't know you, i'd say you're about as good as Jud-D. Wanna give us a few sick rhymes?"

"SANS! This is no time for one of your stupid puns!" Papyrus presented himself in his dainty apron, the front of it and his white gloves completely covered in flour and mashed potatoes. His angered expression only caused Sans to laugh a little harder, taking a seat on their beige sofa.

"Oh yeah? What time is a good time for one of my hilarious jokes?"

"No time, Never again would be delightful. Now, the great Papyrus must get back to work on the food preparations, then hot coca will greet us all!" He excitedly went back to the kitchen, eager for the chocolate reward that was promised. Sans sighed while he leaned back into his chair, inviting the duo for a sit. Alphys took his lead, with Undyne standing in contemplation.

"What's up Undyne? Looks like your DYING for a seat on our super comfy sofa." He winked, causing Undyne to snort her response.

"Huh, PLEASE. I've sat enough for one day, i'm wondering where that new girl is at. Every time i'm over here, she is too." The question surprised Sans in a way, though he could hardly blame her for the assumption. Out of everyone here, she was probably the busiest with her work. She was employed as not only a substitute for the local high school and at the gym near their house, but she had just opened up her very own gym... combined with the workout videos and planning a tour for herself, it was no wonder she hardly came by for a visit. The surprising part was that she even bothered to ask that question... Undyne was much pickier with her friendships, and hardly knew whom Tahoma was.

"Welp, she could be here... or there, she could be ANYWHERE, or EVERYWHERE at once. You might make an adventure out of it."

"Oh cut it out Sans! It's not my fault that Papyrus is a terrible house guest to his girlfriend. Do I have to be the one to walk over there?" Alphy's amused smirk borderline annoyed him, but he didn't dare budge. No need to bring up his conversation from earlier, and cause any unnecessary trouble.

"Well the whole house-guest part might be true, but the rest of it is pretty inaccurate. You can invite her over if you want, either way." He gave a small, passive shrug while he turned on their television, hoping that the next Christmas special was a cartoon of some sort. He could only tolerate so many movies. The yellow lizard next to him switched from a little happy to a little sad, shaking it off while she looked to Undyne for direction. With a huff, she decided to take a seat. If he wasn't dating her, she really didn't care that much about impressing her with stupid coca...

* * *

The next morning was abuzz with the delicious smells of roasting meet and homemade buns. Undyne and Alphys had stayed the night in their guestroom, too cozy after the coca and Christmas movie marathon to walk over. Frisk had brought out the board games to help kill the time before their dinner, and opening of gifts. Like every Christmas, they all were able to open one gift in the morning, saving the rest for after their meal. Frisk, dressed in a sweater similar to what she wore Underground (save for the green and red coloring) opened the gift from Toriel first; a decorative book on organizing, which came with some puzzles on the subject. Sans also decided to follow Frisk's suit, delighted in receiving a new pun book (much to his brother's dismay), It seems as if everyone copied the will of the goat, with Undyne receiving a book on business management, and Alphys a book of seemingly random scientific facts. At last, but not least, she gave Papyrus a novel... one that perplexed Frisk. She expected something of a coloring book, but it was instead about the complicated subject of space... not outer-space, but just space in general. From what she assumed, it was about how to utilize space properly. Frisk found that book a reminder that Papyrus was indeed smarter than many would give him credit for, though he rarely shows it. It was about noon when they decided on a classic board game... monopoly.

"Alright, I think Monopoly would be a lovely game for you all to play. I have to keep an eye on our meals... and take a sneak peek of the novel you gave me, Frisk. How did you know I needed a new cookbook?" Frisk merely shrugged her response, while Toriel giggled and walked into the kitchen. The ringing of their doorbell was heard, Papyrus and Undyne rushed to the door. The turquoise scaled monster pushed Papyrus into the wall while she opened the entrance, the poor skeleton nearly punctured a hole in the wall! To their surprise, it was none other than Asgore himself. He gave a warm smile while the red head gave him a large hug, picking him off of his feet with ease.

"HEEEEEYA big lug. It's been too long since I've seen you Asgore, how've you been?" Alphys and Frisk excitedly greeted him also, each exchanging a warm hug while Papyrus recovered. Sans noticed that he didn't bring any gifts... due to sending them earlier in the mail. The gifts, however, were no secret; he had gifted them each a flower and a small teacup. They came in all kinds of different smells, the cups themselves beautiful and very delicate. They stood proud within their china cabinet... even Toriel could not hide it's beauty from the prying eye.

"Well hello everyone, i'm so excited to be here this year! I pardon for being so late, I had an errand to run before arriving... do I spy a monopoly board? I would love to play the banker." Undyne took his arm with glee, nearly having the poor goat-monster stumble over his enlarged feet. They spent the next several hours over the game... with so many players, they had to take turns. Luckily Undyne was in too good of a mood to ruin the board, even when she lost... after the first several minutes. She then decided to team up with Alphys, whom happened to be very keen on finances. Frisk herself did very well, winning two rounds in a row before Alphys took her place. Sans had always been second... which had Frisk suspicious. Poor Papyrus could never get past third, though he remained confident that he would eventually win... eventually.

* * *

"Hew, I got it all ready. Dave, you should get dressed, we're already pretty late." Tahoma nearly bounced out of her seat with joy, their portion of the meal finally finished. Like she planned, there were multiple plates with nothing but bacon... the large ham took many hours to fully cook through. The little monster was one step ahead of her, dressed in a modest brown sweatshirt and bluejeans. Tahoma decided to go simple, with a green sweater and black jeans. She used her four arms to carry her plates, while Dave begrudgingly carried the ham. It looked goofy... people heavily underestimated his strength, due to his size. He carried it with an absolute ease, Tahoma could tell that he was pretty happy too.

"Alright, let's get this over with. Better keep that bacon away from those idiots... I won't have them hogging it all!" She caught his tease with the tone of voice, grateful that he cast his normally bitter attitude aside. They made their way to their door, gently knocking. Several moments later, they decided to ring the doorbell... after a few more moments, Dave lost his patience. With a large grunt, he kicked their door open... surprised by the sight of monopoly. ...Well, the actual GAME was not that surprising. Undyne was holding Papyrus by his neck, Sans holding Alphys in place to prevent getting involved in the fight. Poor Frisk was caught in the middle of it all, her head stuck between the skeletons ribcage.

"...What the holy HELL is going on here? ...If there was supposed to be a throw down, why didn't you invite ME?!" Surprising everyone, Asgore let out a hearty laugh, as did Sans. They all sat back into their spots, with Asgore taking two of Tahomas plates.

"Oh, you're pretty funny. You must be Dave, my name is Asgore. Oh and why hello to you too, Tahoma; i've heard a lot about you." He shook Tahoma's hand, which felt very relaxing. She thought that Dave was like a teddy bear on his own.. Asgore matched the warmth and squeezable qualities of one as well! Dave stood, with his mouth agape.

"...W-wait, y-you can understand my language too? I thought that you had an interpreter for that stuff." Dave resisted bowing to his former king, whom let out a hearty chuckle.

"Oh I did at one point in my long life. However, I knew I couldn't rely on one forever, so we took it upon ourselves to learn all the languages of monsters. I remember yours being quite the fun one, oh yes. Let's set these plates down and play another board game, huh?" They both had followed his league, the woman trying to figure out what's CHANGED about her former king... well, current king; if she were to be accurate. Though Frisk was the true ambassador between humans and monsters, Asgore took the role of enforcing her decisions, at least on the monster's end. Many of her kind still highly relied on Asgore, though she's noticed some that no longer respect his leadership. The plates were set down, right after another doorbell was heard. This time, however, it was an unfamiliar face to Undyne. Tahoma noticed whom she was, and immediately went to see her... shutting the door right behind the confused souls. Both Dave and Sans had a discerning look to their eye, taking different paths to get outside.

"OH Cindy, hiya! What're you doing here on Christmas Day? ...I thought that you were going to see your mother." Her concerned expression got a giggle in response, the blond-haired human looked dazzling this day. She wore full white, with a warm winter jacket that could blind the sun. Her hair was tied in a neat little bun, a blue ribbon tied to it brought out the crystal blue in her eyes.

"Oh I know that! I just drove by here to give you a small gift... we haven't been working together long, but you truly are one of my better friends around here. Go on, open it!" She nearly jumped up and down as Tahoma gently took off the pink wrapping, the long box contained a dark blue scarf. She noticed a few patches sown onto it, with zippers that forced them to open and close. Her jaw was agape as she put in along her neck, it's snug warmth felt soother.

"OH WOW, you didn't have to do this Cindy. This was so kind of you, Thank you so much!" She closed her eyes for just a moment... only to receive a kiss on the cheek. She forced her body to hold still, trying her best to not jump back reactivate. Her face grew a deep red for her reply, Cindy letting out another goofy laugh.

"Y'know, you really are adorable when you're happy. I've been wanting to ask yah this for a little while, but decided for a good day to do it. Tahoma, you wanna go on a date sometime next week? There's a cool movie coming out, Rapters 3. We can go there, then eat at another diner that's, y'know, NOT Penny's. Whaddaya say?" The monster stood there speechless, as did Dave and Sans. Sans made sure to pay very careful attention... for his brother's benefit. Dave nearly fell out of the tree perch he used to spy on them, mixed between his desire to laugh or to get very, VERY angry. After a moment of thought, Tahoma nodded her head in approval.

"Sounds like a great idea! I'll hit you up when i'm not busy dealing with these goons, y'hear?" Cindy gleefully gave her another kiss, this time on the lips. She waved her farewell while arriving to her car, Tahoma taking a moment to soak in what the hell just happened. She got a DATE for once! One that wasn't with suspicious people that she couldn't trust right out of the gate. She took a deep breath to go back inside, amused by Undyne and Alphys taking their turn on Twister!

"Ooooh, that's a lovely scarf. Did the woman that come here give it to you?" Toriel had finally decided to join the group, Tahoma figuring that Sans convinced her to. She was reading her new book on the recliner while she occasionally peeked at their activity, Sans and Asgore sharing the love seat... enjoying the show. Dave sat in between the two, not minding the space of either of them.

"Yeah, it's from one of my co-workers, Cindy. She's such a nice girl, I should've gotten her a better gift this year." Tahoma wanted to feel guilty, but Papyrus intervened while getting a closer look at her scarf. He jumped in amazement as he examined the pockets, beautifully sown in and acted as a decor; not just a utility.

"How can I, the great Papyrus, get such an amazing scarf? You are ONE lucky individual, Tahoma. I must get myself such a masterpiece of a scarf!" Before she could further that conversation, they heard a loud THUMP! Undyne laid atop of her partner, laughing maniacally while poor Alphys could only attempt at getting off of the ground. They finally managed to rise, Undyne declared the victor for the second round. She looked throughout the room, vibrating with excitement at her win.

"Alright, who's next? Tahoma! I need a new challenge!" Her vicious smirk told her mind no... but the child inside was screaming to go for it. Gently placing the scarf of the ground, she stood next to the large matt. It was much bigger than what she remembered, which Frisk proved her assumption accurate; having to buy an over-sized matt for everyone to play. Frisk began to spin the wheel, Alphys calling out their colors and appendage.

"Okay... Hmm, Undyne! Right foot green." With full confidence, she stomped her right foot on the bright green circle, eager for her next turn. Tahoma took a deep breath before it was hers.

"Now Tahoma, Left foot yellow!" Tahoma decided to put her foot several dots away from her competition, lest she interrupt Undyne's personal space off the bat. Undyne waved her hand towards her face, more than ready for the next calling.

"Okay okay Undyne, it's YOUR turn now. Oof, right hand red." With the speed of a falcon, she swept her hand onto the nearest blue circle, grateful for her arm's length. She had to pass through Tahoma's leg space to get there.

"Tahoma, right foot green." Surprised by her luck, she quickly turned around and stood comfortably in her space.

"Haha, you got the short end of the stick Undyne. Left foot green." Everyone in the room began to giggle at her attempt to reach the green dot. Alas, she fell to her gaming demise. She let out a frustrated growl, standing up and began shouting.

"HEY! That wasn't fair! I want a rematch!" Her sharp claw nearly hit Tahoma's eye with pinpoint accuracy, unnerving the victor by a massive amount. Alphys shook her head in disapproval, proceeding to explain before Undyne could complain further.

"Oh i'm sorry Undyne, maybe next round. You gotta let someone else play too, don't be a matt hog!" She proceeded to walk off their 'stage', Tahoma could vaguely hear her saying 'You're not one to talk about matt hogs!' Withholding a snort, she was greeted with her new competitor, Papyrus. She bore a large grin; unlike Undyne who could be a little TOO intense, Papyrus shared her kind of competitive streak. If she's mentally counted right, they were tied with the amount of wins they each have overall. This match would be their tie-breaker, the skeleton knowing it too.

"I, the GREAT Papyrus, shall beat you in the silly challenge. Prepare to meet your maker!" He struck his ever-famous heroic pose, throwing his scarf aside so he could avoid tripping on it. She nearly laughed, he almost looked naked without it! Taking a breathe, Alphys began to announce Tahoma's turn.

"You first this time, winner. Ha, Right hand red." Trying to shake off the reality of her rear hanging in the air, she placed her right hand on red. Papyrus stood opposite of her, so the impulse to kick him away with her current position didn't persist farther than a second. Dave started to laugh, a move that she didn't appreciate.

"HAH, maybe I should take a photo to send to your new girlfriend. Bet she'd like the view." Tahoma tried to hold back the incoming blush, but completely failed. She should have known that the white fur ball would spy on her... a part of her said because he cared about her, the other part because he wanted the dirt to rub in her face. Asgore gave a smile sigh, though decided to not comment; with Sans hold back his snicker. She was grateful that no-one else noticed the comment, Papyrus being ordered to put his right foot on blue.

"Okay Tahoma, Left foot green." Like a runner prepared to sprint a lap, she struck the pose, gently bending her knee. Her muscles already began to ache from the strain... she really should have taken Undyne's invitation to her gym!

"Papyrus, left hand yellow." Not even blinking, Papyrus assumed a similar position to his rival, his skull nearly grazed her stomach; due to his height and length distance on the matt.

"Nice job you two! Okay Tahoma, left arm red." Tahoma was able to reach the stretch, thankful for having two sets of appendages. No one contested to the usage of both of her arms, assuming that everyone else used their advantages while they had the chance. She took a deep breath and tried to enjoy the stretch, hoping that the turns would go by faster.

"Alright Papyrus, you're next! Right hand Orange... I-I mean red, red." His arms became twisted as he placed his hand a dot away from hers. Tahoma could hardly see from the corner of her eye and Papyrus was already getting tired... which was a small relief. Not only was that a sign that she could win, but she also felt better; knowing that she wasn't the only one suffering for the win.

"Okay Tahoma, left arm blue... and yes, you can use your other arm too." Before she could make her move, Undyne intervened.

"Oh C'MON Alphys, that's cheating! That's not fair on Papyrus!" Much to her chagrin, everyone else nodded in agreement. Without Alphys to contest for her favor, she brought her bottom set of arms to her chest, taking a moment to gradually move to her spot. With each spin, she and Papyrus were getting closer to intertwining, with no escape.

"Ah, sorry Tahoma, but Undyne the jealous does have a point. Papyrus, your turn. Put your left foot on yellow." He was able to make his awkward stance, trying his best to not trip while attempting to get comfortable. His competitor was slightly thankful, the move gave her more breathing room.

"This is a good game guys! Great job so far. Okay Tahoma, right foot red." With her left foot being stuck on green, it forced her to do the splits to make her mark. If she thought she was stretching before, she was dreadfully mistaken. Sweat beads began to form underneath her horns, threatening to leak out from above her eyebrows.

"Woah, you're really flexible! Papyrus, right hand yellow! Man, you're really getting those yellows!" Letting out a groan, he cried.

"Make me have another color, I do not like this color, yeeeellow." Alphys shook her head in disapproval, forcing Papyrus to make his move. He had to hop his arm over Tahoma's stomach to reach the next yellow, his skull hovering between her stomach and lower half. With the position they were in, he could sneak a taunt.

"HYEH he, he he. You shall not defeat me in this game of Twister." She couldn't resist a smirk; if there's one thing that Papyrus was good at, it was getting on her nerves.

"We'll see about that. I'm not the one panting."

"That's enough you two. Tahoma, right arm blue." Her eyes grew wide, knowing that this may be her last turn. With a leap of faith, she tried to ring her right around around Papyrus's, only to drop on top of the skeleton below her. The crash ended the game, with Papyrus the named victor! His small grunt of pain could hardly be heard with the round of applause that erupted. Undyne gently pushed Tahoma off, lifting the skeleton and his arm high.

"We have our champion for tonight! Papyrus, that was a hell of a job that you did there!"

"HAH, and this is a hell of a picture. Kid, i'm sending this to your girlfriend AND framing it, for ALLLL the world to see. WAHahaha!" Sans and Asgore took a closer look, giggling themselves at the scene. Taken at the perfect moment, the two were completely toppled over each other, Papyrus's skull being buried deep in her chest and neck. The commotion let Tahoma gather her composure, shaking Papyrus's hand in congratulations.

"Daaamn, you really are a fierce competitor Pap... well, second best. Well played." This time, she wasn't compelled to grit her teeth, for it was a truly well played match up. His smile confirmed his enjoyment, taking a moment to relish in his sweet, sweet victory. As Alphys and Frisk began putting the games away, Papyrus beat Tahoma to her scarf. He cleared his throat, wrapping the precious blue accessory around his neck.

"Tahoma, I have a proposition. As reward for beating you at Twister, I have decided that I would like to experience the amazingness that is this scarf! In the meantime, my greatness can rub off on you with my own. I shall return yours by the end of tonight, so no worries!" He quickly grabbed his and wrapped it around Tahoma, tucking it in so it was comfortable. The woman couldn't find a way to say no... in a way, she truly didn't mind. It was a cherished gift, but she trusted Papyrus enough to let him borrow it. She hardly caught it, but from the corner of her eye she could swear that Sans was staring... and regretted that choice. Letting Papyrus give her his scarf for awhile probably didn't help his theory to her favor... though being Sans, he also knew that she was planning on the date with Cindy. Luckily Toriel's food call prevented her from lingering on those thoughts for any later, not wanting to wait for the delicious food ahead.

* * *

Mashed Potatoes, Spaghetti on Rye, A large Ham and many side dishes to go along with it... and the bacon. OH the bacon~ The dinner was quickly devoured before any real conversation could begin! Dave took two plates of bacon completely for himself... luckily no one else seemed to mind. Even with her fighting effort, Tahoma could only get one piece of spaghetti on rye, before Papyrus and Undyne devoured it all. The corn on the cob was gone the minute it landed on Toriel AND asgores plates... Sans did his very best to resist a goat puntended. Frisk got a little of everything, though several bowls of mashed potatoes went into her gut. By the time everyone was finished with their portions, the entire table was clean! Papyrus didn't have enough, and wanted the dessert. With approval from Toriel, Papyrus rushed in the kitchen to get the creme pie.

"Good thing we brought so much this year! Thank you for your contribution Tahoma, Dave. It truly was a blessing to us!"

"Oh not a problem at all! Pap, hurry up with that pie! I need some coca powdered goodness in my life!"

"Huh, I figured you liked Vanilla chocolate, might wanna let Cindy know about that." His clever wink had Tahoma blushing again, frustrated that she's become so embarrassed in one night. She'll have to remind herself to not let such small jokes get to her, and to taunt back. She didn't have the time, watching as Papyrus had just opened the fridge, and was prepared to rush. Alphys also noticed, a small bead of sweat began to form from her forehead.

"Uh, Undyne? Quick question, did YOU clean the floors this time?"

"Uh, DUH! You guys never let me do dishes, so there wasn't anything else left!" It was after her sentence that they both cringed, Undyne jumping out of her seat to try to meet the inevitable.

"Oh shi- PAP!" It was too late. Before she could arrive halfway, his boots were already slipping across the tile. His grasp on the pie gone, he tripped backwards and landed headfirst on the floor. Though most remained in shock, Dave began howling with laughter, not noticing where the pie went... face first and inside his mouth. A moment of silence past, but didn't last long. To break it, Tahoma began a howl of her own.

"OH my, the absolute KARMA! HAHAhahaha, aw man, nice goin' Pap. Undyne, I went back and brought two pies, they're in the fridge. Could someone get me some towe- Oh wait!" She quickly took out her phone, snapping a picture before continuing. His grunts could be heard through the creme, though most couldn't understand... well, the ones that understood him anyway.

"Mmfphf, at reest ze pprei tagcks bweh, DECENT!" He finally shoved the pie off of him, it covered most of his little body! Toriel rose from her chair and walked over, a recognizable, misplaced guilt spread across her features.

"Oh I am SO SORRY about this Dave. If you would like, you could use our shower to wash up. Tahoma, could you be a dear and retrieve another pair of clothes?" 

"Oh yeah, sure thing Toriel. Just save me a slice for later, i'm full anyway." With a full cleanup underway, it didn't take more than an hour before everyone sat excitedly next to the tree. After a few moments, Toriel approved of the gift giving... and chaos ensued. Wrapping paper was getting torn left and right, with many shrieks of excitement and nods approval for the gifts that they got. Toriel received many wonderful pieces of literature from everyone; ranging from cooking to an update on snail-facts, and even a flower notebook that she could write in! Frisk received everything from clothes to video games to even puzzles! Papyrus got his absolute dream gift for this year, A super awesome skateboard that he could use at the skate park! The rest were good too... several fabulous posters of Mettaton and his band as well as some new clothes and giftcards. Alphys got her nerds galore, with many anime figurines and a few new manga to add to her collection... glomping Undyne and crying at the set that she gave her. Undyne was given anything with the word EXTREME on it; including tickets to extreme go-cart racing next week, and several videos of extreme break-dancing that Frisk felt would be fun to try. There was also a 'hidden gift' that Alphys had given her earlier... and that was meant for alone time. Sans and Asgore both got many items that they could use to relax... bubble bath, new robes, and Sans was given a fresh new pair of slippers to replace his old ones.

Tahoma and Dave were both elated to see everyone so happy... it made their night to see much joy for a holiday. The duo were both so used to celebrating on their own, that the scene was refreshing to see. Tahoma was especially proud of how everyone enjoyed her gifts... each showing much gratitude for their figurine. Toriel was given a small book that talked about how amazing mothers are and always will be. Sans, being as sly as he is, got a Ninja that she glued a very tiny teddy bear to. Undyne got a kick boxer plushy, with a small heart sewn into it's chest. Alphys of course got a scientist figurine, a really small manga could be seen in it's hand. Frisk was given a plain heart plushy, with the hopes that she got the simple sentimentality. Papyrus got a little superman figurine, with Cool Dude written on it's front. She had given Dave's gift earlier, a slump old man toy with most of his chest covered in many hearts... with chocolates; Dave was an absolute sucker for chocolates. She too, received a box of chocolates as a Christmas gift... she adored chocolates. Figuring that the wrappings were finished, Tahoma began to throw some away to help with the cleaning.

"What are you doing? Tahoma! You have gifts of your own you need to unwrap!" Both Dave and Tahoma stood in awe as the group handed them each a large basket, composed of many small trinkets, puzzles, and a frozen plate of spaghetti in each. There was also a large muffin, looking green and purple. Papyrus reached for his scarf and took out a small gift box, placing it atop of the basket. Toriel cleared her throat as the duo stared in disbelief.

"You both have been so kind to us since you've moved here... you gave us the chance to express ourselves, and were yourselves in turn. We appreciate your friendship with our ever growing family, and we want you to know that you'll always have a place here to call home. I hope you enjoy our gifts, as we've enjoyed yours." The entire group smiled, one by one sitting behind Tahoma and Dave as they tried to process what was happening. Before the knew it, Toriel yelled "Cheese!". With the family photo taken, it officially ended the night of their Christmas. Budging everyone away from the mess, Toriel and Asgore decided to clean up the mess, leaving the rest to indulge in their new products.

"...Huh, wow. These, eh, these guys, huh? ...Kind folks." A small stab of guilt tore through Dave, knowing that he didn't bother to buy anyone a gift. Now he owes them! He wanted to get annoyed... but he just couldn't bring himself to. Tahoma looked up to see everyone panning through what they want to do first. She could clearly hear Undyne's excitement for the new workout routine, setting up the DvD player to try it on the spot. Alphys couldn't hold back her nerdgasm, reaching for the first manga that she laid her eyes on... saving the best for last; Kitty Kitty. Frisk sat with Sans while looking at her new puzzlebook, discussing her absolute favorites with him; and getting him to try one. The work for cleaning up didn't take long, Asgore sitting next to Frisk on the couch, with Toriel back on the recliner. In a way... they felt like an extended family. She couldn't imagine another Christmas without them... without this to cherish. She noticed how Dave dug right into the candies, toying with the Yo-Yo that snuck it's way into the basket. She noticed Papyrus wasn't doing much, fiddling with his new Skateboard and glancing back and forth in her direction... she gave in.

The box itself was almost deceptive... if she didn't know any better, it looked like it was meant for jewelry. Shaking the thought away, she gently unraveled the ribbon, quietly tearing the paper to reveal the lid. Lifting the lid had her mouth agape, he managed to find a large, orange agate. She lifted it to look at all the unique, almost painted combinations of red, orange, and yellow. She could even see bits of green! She was amazed enough that he remembered her growing collection... and how she had to put a stop to it due to work. But this... this was the best one she's ever seen!

"Woah, is that an agate? The hell did Pap find that? I mean damn, that thing is huge!" The shine caught Alphy's attention, with her immediately running over to it. She looked just as impressed, asking and lightly taking it away as she examined it closer.

"Hmmmm, wait a minute... Papyrus, could you come here for a second?" Tahoma's heart began to sank as the skeleton rushed over, like a puppy at play.

"Yeeeeess, did you like the gift? I'm sure it'll have admirers for years to come! So Alphys, what is it that you need from the great Papyrus?" His obliviousness couldn't catch her not-so happy mood, showing him the agate closely.

"Paps... it's great that you're thinking of your friends and giving them cool stuff... but you CANNOT be stealing from my lab!"

"WHAT? You accuse me of thievery? ...Alphys, I am the Great Papyrus. How can I be so great, and also steal? The two do not belong together!" He stomped his foot in frustration, which caused a few onlookers to notice the conversation. Alphys took another look at the agate, using her shirt to polish off the outside.

"...Papyrus, where DID you find it? I don't mean to be rude.. but it looks an awful like the one I found a few months back." He clenched his fingers to his chin for a moment, but then snapped them when he remembered.

"Oh, do you not remember the tide-pool? At the beach near here? They have all kinds of super cool things there! The agate happened to be one of them... it took me a solid half hour of digging to find it." His confidence reassured Alphys that he was telling the truth. Again, she took one last very loooooong look. She didn't want to accuse him of stealing without a reason... Then she found it! The little green dot on the very top, it was NOT the same as her own. She had a purple dot the glowed in the sunlight. She began to turn extremely red in the face, gently handing back the agate while she took a turn to Papyrus.

"Oh, I-I'm so sorry Papyrus. I thought for sure that it was the one from the lab... but mine had pruple, and that one was green. I hope you can forgive me for being so rash about it, a-a-and the whole calling you a t-theif thing." She looked like she was about to pour tears, but Papyrus quickly pulled her in for a hug.

"The Great Papyrus forgives you. I do not blame you for wanting to make sure it was not yours... after all, who WOULDN'T want such an amazing rock? Do not worry about it." He was soon joined by Tahoma, hugging them both tightly.

"...Thank you Pap, I really do love the gift. It's gonna be the best piece of my collection!"

* * *

The night gradually died down as the hours went by. Shortly after the enjoyment of gifts, Asgore took his leave back home. He was honest when saying that his current girlfriend would be waiting for him in the morning, once she came home from her families place. Toriel also bid her farewell, climbing up the stairs for some well deserved rest. The rest could not settle down, simply having too much fun enjoying their toys and games. With a movie marathon running in the background, one by one they passed out. Frisk was out first, her brain fried from trying to solve too many complex puzzles at once. Then there was Alphys, whom fell asleep while reading. Papyrus then followed, snuggling up to his new skateboard like a pillow on the couch. The moment Undyne decided to sit down for a break was the moment that her eyes refused to open, lulling her to slumber. That left Tahoma, whom quietly faded to the sounds of Christmas carols, and the great memories she's just made. Sans and Dave were the only ones left away, the awkward tension that would have been there didn't exit... neither one cared for such a thing.

"...Heh, I guess you're part of the family now, eh?" He nudged the short monster a bit to tease him, but only got a huff in return.

"Family? Maybe a little too comfortable bud... but pretty damn close. Y'know, you assholes aren't so bad. You guys gave Tahoma the best holiday she's ever had... that's more than I could ever do." He looked a little solemn as he spoke the words, trying his best to gander at the television, and to avoid Sans' gaze.

"I wouldn't be so hard on you, and you shouldn't either. You've done your best, and Tahoma's not the kind of girl to take advantage of that. I'd be willing to wager that if you weren't here, welp, it would've been her worst. Don't be so Ha-Ha-Harsh on yourself." He delivered his final Christmas pun with a wink, causing Dave to actually chuckle for once.

"Alright alright, i'll give you that one... still though; moving here was probably the best idea that i've ever had. Say, you've got connections with Asgore right? ...Hows the plan going?" Sans was taken aback for a moment, but recoiled on the spot.

"Heh, you've gotten better at spying, old man."

"Fool, i've been around for too long to not know any better. You're a special kind of monster... probably a boss monster, I wager. You're the kind that's gonna have more impact on others than what you'd think, or want. I've also got a magic trick or two up MY sleeve, so underestimating me would be a mistake. A mistake that you're not willing to make though, right?" The tone had grown serious, but with an understanding undertone. San's eye began to glow it's bright blue, a habit that he couldn't get out of. Any situation that began to get more 'real' than normal caused him to stay on his toes, his magic following suit.

"You're also smarter than what I initially gave you credit for... as for the plans, they'll be set and in place on the New Year. Hopefully this'll ease some monsters into the world... a world that they've wanted for so long."

"Ha, tell me about it! ...Y'know, I remember what it was like, living on the surface... before the war. It looked much different; a little greener, but a whoooole lot shittier than now. If you're plan works... then I shouldn't have to worry about the world Tahoma's gonna get old in anymore." Sans had his suspicions, and they were gradually being confirmed as he got to know Dave.

Dave was a boss monster... who's child had died.

Deciding not to delve into the subject further, he decided on something that was serious, but a tad bit more lighthearted.

"...So you've noticed how Papyrus and Tahoma have been interacting recently, right?" He nearly coughed up his drink, but cleared his throat with a deep snarl.

"Of course I have... really, REALLY annoying! Hate to say it... well, not really; i'm gonna be blunt with ya. You're brother's a real moron. He can't tell the difference between a pair of tits and his own damn eye sockets!" His initial reaction was to get angry, and fast. However, he decided to take a more humorous approach to the insult instead.

"Heh, like you'd know either. My brother Pap isn't an idiot... it's just not his thing. Keep in mind, old man, we're skeletons. Why WOULD we care about that kind of thing? Wouldn't lead anywhere, so what's the point?" His answer stumped the elderly monster, forcing him to ponder for a moment.

"Hmmm, fair point. Still, you have emotions...at least I think you do. I know that dipshit does; and it wouldn't surprise me if you had NEEDS to fulfill, like most men on this damned planet. I'm not gonna get into the details, but I've seen how you treat that goat-mom. You can't deny yourself that kind of, augh, relationship; and you certainly can't lie to me about that either. Either way, it ain't gonna matter. My daughter will move on whatever bull-shit crush she might have with that dimwit... i'd be more worried about your brother, if I were you."

"Paps? Nothing to worry about there. He's always been himself, and if being himself means not knowing how much of a pain in the ass romance can be, so be it." For once, Sans began to get a little uncomfortable... an emotion he hasn't felt in a long, LONG time.

"I meant what I said. You think someone can remain Ni ave forever? Sure, he could NEVER feel that way towards another person... but i'm telling you that he's gonna know; whether he's involved directly or not. You better be prepared for when that day happens." With that final note, he left his spot on the couch and began to head home, carrying his adopted daughter with him. Sans noticed that he used a weird aura to unlock the door... a magic similar to his. He took a deep breath, knowing what he knows now.

He has to respect Dave... or else he can end up having a baaaad time.

* * *

Authors Note: ... . This was by far the longest chapter... by a LANDSLIDE. I hope the read wasn't too troublesome, and I do not believe that the rest of the chapters will be so much at one time. Let me know in the comments if I should separate this into two chapters, or if I should keep it how it is. Have a great one.


	9. New Years!

Author's Note: I'm liking the new style of writing that I've got going on... it makes me feel DETERMINED to finish the chapter before I continue onward, rather than smaller bits that I feel 'meh' about. Hope y'all like it, love it, comment on it, and let me know how I can improve my style of writing... i'd really appreciate it.

P.S; I apologize for the length of time it took me to post this new chapter; a spent several days travelling by bus. That feel when no strong Wi-Fi connection. /3

Warning: This chapter includes alcohol usage. If you feel a little squeamish about the subject, do not fret! I'll add a small summary about the important parts of this chapter in the next chapter's author's note.

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All copyright and ownership go to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

"You're quite the interesting young woman, dear Frisk. My late-wife would've loved to c-chat with you." The elderly lizard monster had a habit of stuttering, but it didn't bother Frisk one bit. Ever since she went on her break, she had decided to visit the elderly home downtown; she enjoyed hearing from both older humans and monsters... though she couldn't deny having an ulterior motive... the older monsters may know how to revert Asriel back to his former self. It was a long-shot, and had a low chance of success... but Frisk was willing to do almost anything to save a friend; even a friend she had hardly known. He looked like the human's equivalent of an Alligator, hunched in his old recliner. The elderly human nodded her head into agreement of his statement, her smile warmed the air around them.

"Ah yes yes, I'd have to agree! Deary, would you be so kind as to deliver me my basket? Ruckus and I have found a book that you may very well enjoy." This may be it! Frisk nearly tripped over herself retrieving the basket, but kept her cool while she strolled over to her seat. She placed the basket neatly on the short table before them, the gentle monster reaching his arm into the basket. The older woman gave a little drum-roll as he handed her the novel, his large smile displayed the many sharp teeth in his maw. The younger woman took it with a smile of her own, surprised by the title of the novella; Monster Species Encyclopedia. She was tempted to start turning the pages and to indulge in such information, but withheld for her leave.

"A-as a human in this world, y-y-you should know more and more about the monsters surrounding you. Now, d-d-d-don't get the idea that all monsters act like like like that book says, we ARE much more diverse than that! Still, it doesn't hurt a-a youth like yourself to know how we work. You might find a tid-bit or two about us that can get you out of a sticky situation in the future. Welp, these ol' scales are are in need of a nap. Marian! You should escort her outta here, she needs to spend her day living it up for the new year!" Marian merely shook her head while he stepped out of the room, giggling while they walked out of the Nursing Home. She waved Frisk off; the afternoon sun had shown well that day. In a way, the lack of snow was dearly missed... of all the places in the Underground that she enjoyed exploring the most, it was Snowdin. She grinned to herself, knowing that it wouldn't be too much longer before she would pass by that wonderful snow again. She entered her car and switched on the engine, with a small hope that she could learn something that would benefit her current dilemma...

It didn't take her long to arrive back home, not surprised to see the usual situation around her. Sans was busy watching television, enjoying his time off with Mettatons new Soap Opera. If she remembered correctly, Naplestook and Shyren were featured for the first time; though that business decision didn't surprise her. Ever since they starting touring the globe from the moment they came up from the Underground, Mettaton and his brand; MTT, became world renowned. The people also loved the ghost's music... there was such a massive cult following for anything scary, which suited his tunes juuuuust fine. She noticed that Undyne, Alphys, Tahoma and Papyrus were gathered around the table, enjoying a classic game of Spanish 21. Their fascination for the card games that they saw at casino's were amusing to Frisk, sitting down to enjoy the view. Toriel took delight in being the dealer, she loved to shuffle the cards and to pass out their 'currency' for the four players. The delicate pieces of candy were tantalizing, though Frisk decided to keep her hands to herself; save the scolding that she would get for indulging in the sweets being used.

"Okay Alphys, you're down to your last pieces. Let's hope that you win the round!" Toriel announced as she flipped the cards upright, all of the players very tense. Papyus seemed to be in the lead with a solid pile of chocolates and peppermint pieces, an Ace of Clubs and a Three of Spades were put in front of him. Undyne was virtually tied with the skeleton, many Easter egg candies and lollipops filled her small container on the table. She got a King of Spades and a Four of Diamonds. Tahoma was struggling to stay in the game... from what Frisk could count, she only had enough pieces for one more round, if she doesn't win this one. She ended up getting a Queen of Diamonds and Eight of Spades. Poor Alphys was on her last, having the displeasure to receive a King of Clubs and a Six of Diamonds. Their hearts skipped a beat when Toriel laid herself down an Eight of Spades. Matching the card, Toriel took several pieces from everyone and gifted it to her; Tahoma struggled to keep a straight face at her winnings!

"Humph! I don't understand why she gets SO much from matching a card! Frisk, you humans can have the DUMBEST of rules for these stupid games!" Toriel merely giggled, Alphys let out a sigh while she leaned her hand on the table.

"Oh Undyne, you wouldn't be so upset if YOU were the one to win that! Besides, humans have done a pretty decent job designing these kinds of games... the probability of such an event happening is actually pretty slim; so the payout is definitely worth the risk. Okay, Whooooooo, go on ahead Toriel." The dealer had nodded her gentle goat head, skipping the declining Alphys for her turn, flipping a card for Undyne; a five of Diamonds placing her in a comfortable Nineteen. Tahoma decided to skip, knowing that placing a hit (taking a turn) would only end up in a bust (going over 21, losing the round). Papyrus hit, tying with Undyne's nineteen with his own six of Spades. They all waited patiently while Toriel shuffled the cards, the tension in the air was enough to cut a thin slice of cake! Toriel turned her card... a fifteen with the Seven of Clubs. She turned over another card... a Six of Spades ended with a Twenty One! The disgruntled players gave up their bets, Alphys offically out of the game. Undyne turned her scaled head to see how frustrated she was, and mentally decided on an ultimatum.

"Alright you sissies, I have a proposition for yah! ALL OR NOTHING!" She shoved her stockpile of sweets to the middle of the table, nearly slamming her sharp elbow on the tabletop while she faced her competitors. Tahoma could feel a bead of sweat wanting to escape from her forehead... though she's known Undyne for nearly half a year already, she hasn't gotten used to her intensity. Papyrus merely smirked while adding his winnings to the pile, crossing his arms in a pre-disposition victory pose.

"I, the Great Papyrus, take on your challenge. What say you, Tahoma?" He had his bare hand on her pile... the sight itself made Tahoma a little uncomfortable. He removed his cotton gloves to play this game... the cards kept slipping between his fingers through the fabric. She shook off the feeling while she verbally agreed to the challenge, the entire stash was then pushed to the side; Alphys gently spoke with her sharp-toothed counterpart.

"Undyne, you don't have to do this! I-I don't mind watching, and I wouldn't want you to end early..." She was quickly answered with a large, one armed hug.

"OH it's fine Alphys! This game is starting to get boring anyway! Besides, there's NO WAY that these losers will win this match!" She taunted from her seat as the cards were placed, a ferocious smile plastered on her face; A King of Diamonds and Queen of Spades greeted her. Tahoma sighed in defeat, her loss quickly displayed itself with A King of Hearts and Eight of Diamonds. Papyrus was the only one left to stand against his counterpart, sighing in defeat to his Jack of Hearts and Seven of Spades.

"HAH! I TOLD you losers that I would win! C'mon Alphys, let's take th-"

"Wait now, I have to of yet drawn my cards; keep in mind, the dealer can win. Let me have my turn... then you can do with the sweets whatever you'd like." Her gentle reminder cooled Undyne's excitement by just a short amount, flipping her first card for a Queen of hearts. She then flipped again... to everyone's surprise, it was an ace! Toriel was such a kind soul, deciding to redraw again under the notion that she had an eleven instead. Her next draw surprised everyone... a Jack of Spades! Undyne cringed at the draw, taking all of her strength to keep her mouth shut while Toriel smiled at her luck... she normally would've started to smack talk the loser that beat her... but her former queen was the exception.

"Oh my! That is indeed good luck on my part. Hehe, Frisk, why don't YOU take my earnings? I must go to the store for tonight's' meal... Barbecue it was? Oh I must get going! It's already 3:30!" She quickly rushed for her lavender coat, Sans already waiting for her at the door. Frisk could feel the jealous eyes of the players shooting through the back of her skull while she watched the duo leave out the door. The human felt a small shiver crawl down her spine as she examined her prize, deciding to push the pile in the middle and to invite everyone for whatever they wanted; she loved sweets, but also loved to share... and the expression on Undyne's face was pretty terrifying. Luckily her smile of content kept her from crushing the table inward, she and Tahoma exchanged nervous glances while they all partook in their treat of choice. Alphys used the moment of silence to set out a piece of paper, the action gave her the attention that she needed to voice her question.

"...So, did everyone have a New Years Resolution this year? I-I don't particularly care for them, because the statistics for the success of the resolutions are quite low, but it can be fun!" Her grin showed off her sharp canines; her rubbery beak acted like a curtain, closing their view of her maw. Papyrus began to clap excitedly at her question, the clap reminded him of his absence of gloves with the sheer sound of bone clashing against bone. He took a moment to look around, but no red could be seen in sight. He sighed while a small snort could be heard from the recliner; Dave reading a novel in the corner. It surprised Frisk for a moment... she had no knoweldge of his presence here. Then again, he was awfully small, quiet to boot. She could faintly see him turning a dial on his new collar, an amused smirk slapped itself across his face while he climbed onto Tahoma's lap, and onto the table.

"Heh, if you're looking for the gloves, slow-for bones took 'em. Guess you'll have to wait for them to come back; dimwit." His English made Alphys jump back a bit, but was then filled with a feeling of pride. For Christmas, she had given Dave a translator... if it worked as well as she hoped, she planned to release the device within the following year! He wore it like the collars that their dog monsters used, save the spikes and tags. The dial on the side activated the translation as Dave had pleased... from what the scientist had observed thus far, he only turned it on if there was no one around that could understand his original speak. She wrote out her new-found goal to make her invention global with a great enthusiasm, Dave merely shook his head back and forth.

"Y'know, I never cared for that Resolution crap myself either. You can do whatever you set your mind to at ANY point in the year, so why the hell would you wait? Sounds like procrastinating to me." The white gremlin shrugged his shoulders while he spoke, taking out his phone to show his boredom with the continuing conversation. Undyne sat in contempt for a moment, then hoisted herself upright while unleashing a punch onto the table. Even at her lightest, she left a small crack in the fine wood; ignoring the damage she caused while she up-roared.

"HEY! Setting yourself a goal at a certain time can be EMPOWERING! What could be better for working hard towards a goal than the new year?! Old man, I GOT my goal this year! THIS YEAR, I plan on opening THREE NEW GYMS! You heard that right, THREE! HaHA!" She struck a strong pose... a habit copied from Papyrus. Alphys got to work writing down her revelation, feeling inspired from her speech for her own goals. Frisk nodded her head with approval, explaining that her new goal was to keep her grades nice and high; visiting the Nursing home at least once a week. Papyrus and Undyne gave her a large thumbs up to show their endorsement of her decision, Alphy's chubby fingers kept her pen steady while she wrote; the small kitty head bouncing back and forth from the top of it's cap. Papyrus stood up from his seat to strike his famous pose; Arms on his hips with his aged scarf hanging daintily from his neck.

"I, the great Papyrus, have another goal of mine! Next year, I plan on improving my boarding tricks! I will also no longer let my ignoramus of a brother's puns bother me! If they do not bother me, then he will no longer feel the requisite to hinder me with such wordplay!" Frisk merely giggled at the thought... Sans no longer making puns? It was a ludicrous idea! Dave and Tahoma seemed to share the same idea, grinning slyly while Dave piped up.

"Heh, you REALLY think that your brother's gonna stop punning you? Pap, he's pun crazy! He'll just get worse with each passing pun..." Papyrus sat back down while he spoke, lightly tapping his bony fingers on the tabletop. His skull started to display signs of annoyance, but he chose to remain silent. Tahoma couldn't help herself, adding to Dave's sentence.

"OH yeah! Pap's mi amigo, we haven't lived here for long... but even WE pun better! The moment that Sans stops punning around is the moment that he stops talking. The fact that it bothers you STILL is a little punnersome... I mean, how could you get so punned out? They're enlightening, SUPER punny, an-" His light taps turned to harsh taps as he began to turn blue in the face... scrunching his eyes until he couldn't stand it anymore. He abruptly left his chair, pointing at Tahoma before silently walking away, trying his best to keep his word for his New Year's Resolution. The table laughed off the awkward leave, though Undyne looked concerned over the angered Papyrus.

"Hah! He really can't stand puns, even after all these years of punning up with them... Hmm... Tahoma! You were the one that made him mad, go check on him! Alphys and I gotta run to the store for our own stuff; Frisk, you should come too." Frisk shook her head for a no, explaining how her break for school would be over soon; she needed to review her work one last time before the night started. Undyne decided to let the matter go, appreciating how Frisk took her education seriously. She and Toriel had a few things in common, but the greatest similarity is their love of teaching. Undyne didn't teach traditionally with books or written lessons like Toriel did... but physically showing and instructing the people that took her classes was empowering none-the-less! Dave jumped off of the table top, walking over to the door while bypassing the women.

"Alright, FINE! I'll take her place... you idiots won't know the difference between a good ale and bath water! I know where to find the good stuff." Alphys couldn't respond in time, having to rush to catch up to Undyne. Her facial reaction was one that delighted in a challenge... she knew that it was going to be a verbal battle the entire trip through, and she wasn't looking forward to it. She secretly hoped that Dave wouldn't piss her off too much, though he didn't seem like the type to start a fight. Even with Undyne's general demeanor, she wasn't the fish-esque monster to start an argument, at least without meaning to. She sighed while her short, stubby legs reached Dave's pickup truck... this was going to be a LONG drive.

* * *

"Yo Pap! You in your room? Look, i'm sorry for messing with yah... but you gotta admit that was pretty pu- Erm, funny. Yeah, that... Pap?" Tahoma grew concerned quickly, gently opening his bedroom door. She did her best to open it slowly, for the case that he might be extremely upset, but he was no-where to be seen. The brown-haired monster looked left and right, but didn't spot him right out of the door. Papyrus never entered someone else's room without them inside... it just wasn't in his nature to snoop through their stuff. She gradually grew a grin while she checked his closet... she loved to play hide and seek! There were no skeletons there... metaphorically or physically. Frisk was about to enter her room when she heard Tahoma calling Papyrus's name, the human decided to sneak her way behind his dresser to spy on the seeker. Frisk was notorious for having quiet feet... and it didn't seem as if their guest noticed her intruding. Tahoma took a moment to look under his desk, no bones in sight.

"Oh Paaaaaapyruuuuuss, where are you dude? You can't hide from me forever, yah nerd!" Tahoma's calls had Frisk at a giggle, but she covered her own mouth to keep silent. The tallish monster stayed still for several seconds to hear for any sounds... absolutely nothing could be picked up in the pitch quiet space. She bent over to look under his covers, then under his bed. Not a trace of Papyrus even being here! The mammalian monster had played this game several times with her skeletal friend, and those were all of his casual hiding spots. She began to wonder if he hid in another room after all... he could've left through his window; but it's shut and the possibility was very slim. If she outright find him... she could taunt him out! She began to speak louder, a wicked grin plastered on her face.

"OOOOOOhhhh Pap! Gosh Papyrus, you think you're SO cool, huh? You're pretending that YOU are the ULTIMATE Hide and Seek Master, huh? Welp, you're wrooooooong, buddy! Y'know why, Papyrus? 'Cause I Knooooooow where you're hiding! You heard that right! I know EXACTLY where you are, and I CHOOSE not to find you. Yeah that's right, you're just gonna sit there until you get sooooo bored, that i'll just end up winning anway. Let's see the time... hmm, my phone says 3:47 p.m. ON the dot. I can set a timer if you'd like, or should I just chill on this bed? AW yeah, this bed is MINE now!" Tahoma decided to add insult to injury, rubbing her bum into his bed-sheets before leaning into his pillow, smugly closing her eyes to enjoy such a luxury. She had to admit, his bed was pretty damn comfy; Surprising... considering that he's a skeleton. She decided to voice her thoughts aloud, she could sense that his annoyance was reaching an all time high. Frisk had to use a lot of her energy to not burst out in a fit of laughter; knowing full well where Papyrus was hiding from the sidelines.

"Maaaaaan, this bed is comfier than mine! You're nothing but BONE Pap... why do you need such a comfy mattress? I also dig the flaming bed... is that suggesting something? Hahaha! Hah, maybe i'll look for some cool new things after a well-deserved nap. No, y'know what? This room is ALSO mine now~ Don't worry, I know how to share the space! I mean, you're pretty good at finding cool things... but are they REALLY as cool as you? Or are they far COOLER than you ar- OW!" A large, heavy weight landed full force on top of Tahoma, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Papyrus had spent the entire duration floating above the seeker, using his blue magic to keep himself stuck to the ceiling. Her rambling angered him to the point of neglecting his magic, accidentally cancelling his blue suspension spell and dropping down. It took them both a moment to recover from the landing, Papyrus rushing to stand up and began to stomp his heel against the floorboards.

"...Get off of my bed, NOW please." His cheek bones were burning with a mixture of fury and embarrassment, but then simmered down when he noticed Tahoma struggling to lift herself up. She took a large breath, sighing with relief to realize that she wasn't hurt. She looked straight at his eye sockets and began to laugh with hysterics, wiping a tear from her eye amidst the skeleton's confusion.

"Hahah, i'm sorry Pap! I guess that's just a GREAT example of Karma; here I am talking up the ass, and you were just floating RIGHT ABOVE ME. You kinda have me impressed... on one hand, you lasted as long as you did with my shit-talking you. The second hand? ... Man, you really knocked the wind out of me! I don't even understand why you're so heavy!" She gradually leaned back on the bed, Papyrus picking her up from her spot and sitting her back upright; waving his bony finger in front of her face while addressing his current issue.

"For one, watch your mouth! I don't need to remind you that we have soap in both the kitchen and the bathroom! For two, If you're going to sit on my bed, at least leave me some room! And for three, I am NOT that heavy! If anything, I just have very strong bones! I always keep a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, and calcium in my diet to keep myself in tip top physical condition... unlike SOMEONE that I know..." He took his own seat, leaning against the wall and pillow while stretching out his legs, placing them atop of Tahoma's. She didn't mind, leaning against her opposing side of the wall while shushing Papyrus's comment. Frisk made sure to keep quiet... but also knew that she possibly screwed herself. If she left now, they were GOING to see her... but if they happened to catch her while they left, they could potentially get mad at her for spying. Papyrus wasn't one for anger... and Tahoma didn't seem to be a character with a temper, either. She decided to wait it out while they chatted; knowing that Toriel and Sans would be home any minute to interrupt their conversation anyway.

"Aw c'mon Pap, I DO eat healthy... hell, I eat at the restaurant every other day! They've got some pretty healthy stu-"

"Tay, it's Penny's. WHAT do they have there that's NOT covered in grease and salt?" Tahoma was taken aback by the new nickname, but merely shook it off to answer his question; which she felt was blunt.

"Dude, they have SALADS there! Plus they serve sides of fruit and stuff, y'know? I'm getting all that healthy stuff in me! It's not just Penny's either, I get sandwiches from the gas station all the time... and Cindy's packed me one or two really awesome lunches." She pointed out the last one without thinking much on it, though regretted it mere moments later when Papyrus jumped a little, excited like a young puppy going for a walk.

"Oh, that woman! How did your date go? I'm sure that Star Busters 3 was a sure hit!" His enthusiasm was so infectious, it only made Tahoma want to copy it herself! She took a long minute to contemplate what to say next, Papyrus waited patiently, but grew more anxious by every second of silence.

"It went... well Papyrus. It really did, and she's SUPER nice... but I guess she didn't think of me in... y'know, THAT way like she thought she did. We both agreed that it was a little awkward, dating each other. We decided to be solid friends instead." She gave a smile for confirm her story, but her friend's sadden expression told her that he simply didn't buy it. He looked at her as if she should be pitied, which began to annoy her.

"Wait, she wasn't interested in YOU? Preposterous! Is it because you're a monster? If so, then there's no reason for it to be weird! Why, I had a date a human once before, with Frisk!" Tahoma's expression changed from slightly solemn to genuinely confused... Papyrus understood what dating was? It didn't make any sense until he explained the story. How Frisk flirted with him during one of his fights... back while she was a child? She looked away for a mere second to try and not feel awkward about it... but damn! Frisk was into that kind of thing even before she hit puberty... He explained that he desperately wanted to feel the same way, but couldn't bring himself to that same type of affection for Frisk. The occasion reminded the listener just how naive Papyrus could be, his initial point nearly contradicted itself; but she got the initial idea he was trying to get across... that the species barrier was gone the moment the barrier to the Underground got shattered to bits.

"WOW Frisk was a player, I gotta give her more props! Hah, don't worry about it so much Pap... if anything, both of us just felt a little weird dating each other is all. We'll both still be really good friends, and it's probably not the only reason why she didn't wanna date me. After all, i'm not THAT experienced with dating myself.. never went out much while I was younger. She needs someone that knows what they're doing, she deserves that much." Though she was stretching the truth a bit to Papyrus, what she said was never the less how it went down. The date had gone smoothly... a movie and a dinner later, they were at her place. A drink or two later, the adult scenes were about to happen, but Cindy stepped out. It was perplexing... Cindy was the initial one to show a romantic interest in Tahoma, but in the end didn't see it the way she thought she did. After simply talking it out, they both decided on their fates, to remain friends. Papyrus leaned in for a hug, though this time Tahoma tried to struggle from his grasp.

"Augh look, i'll be alright Pap, it's fine! It's better that I knew now than down the road, y'know? Besides, I don't really care that much for dating anyway, it's eh, it's, it- ... I'll be okay, Papyrus. You don't have to hug me." She tried and failed to gently push him off, a tear began to roll down her cheek. She hated it in a way... how good of friends they both were. It wasn't the first time that Papyrus or Undyne or even Frisk had to give her a hug, and it sure wasn't to be the last. If she thought about it more-so, it was easy to tell that the grown woman could be a massive cry-baby, Dave was pretty spot-on when he called her that. During their previous conversation about New Years Resolutions... she couldn't vocally voice hers at the table. She had mentally resolved to be braver... and to stop relying on her friends; and that started now. She fished from the back of her head a tickle spot she found on Papyrus a few months ago, on one of his ribs. She went to work, finding that his second highest rib was the spot she was looking for. Then laughter ensued, immediately releasing the tickler while she continued. Both pairs of her arms and hands went to work, each hand working a known tickle-spot and finding a new one along the way; the very top of his spine. It didn't take long for Papyrus to start fighting back... like the claws of a hawk, he grabbed both pairs of her hands with his own, using just one of his arms to hold hers down while he went for the back of her neck. She resisted by hopping off of the bed, only for them to both tumble on the floor. Frisk was so tempted to join in on the fun herself, but decided against it when Tahoma began to cry.

"Oh god Papyrus, Waha! T-that's enough pleeeeeeeease. Hahahahaehehe." Despite her please, he refused to give up until he saw tears of happiness shed... instead of the tears from sadness that he saw from her all too often... besides, this was fun! It amazed him how quick her reflexes could be however, her right lower arm reached out for a blow that did get him to stop; though Tahoma found a rather interesting result attempting to tickle the lowest rib of his rib-cage. He swiped her first pair of hands, hoisting them both up and lightly letting them go while rubbing the back of his neck bones... then taking a moment to crack a part of his spine.

"..Uh Pap, what's wrong? That didn't hurt... did it?" She was perplexed by the growing heat coming from his cheeks, though she figured he was just embarrassed by losing the tickling match. He didn't look her in the face for a moment, his scrunched eye-sockets and prominent frown told Tahoma that he was pretty annoyed.

"It didn't hurt, but it felt REALLY weird. Don't do that again please." Before she could question what he meant by 'weird', Sans and Toriel could be heard entering through their door. Toriel's modest though heavy footsteps were a dead giveaway, pacing to their kitchen to drop off their haul. Tahoma decided to drop the subject and follow Papyrus outside of his room... she didn't want to get caught in ANOTHER awkward situation involving being alone with him... a situation she's been trying to avoid ever since Sans suspect her of false feelings. Neither had any idea that Frisk was hidden from immediate sight, silently pattering out of the room before it's door could be shut and to her own. She let out a huge sigh of relief, another success! She quickly smiled to herself, the scene was quite the eye-candy for her... Frisk always enjoyed watching her friends get along so well. She could tell that the two were really great friends, and that's more than what she could ask for the Great Papyrus! She picked up the novel that the monster had given her earlier, diving into it's content while awaiting her meal for the evening...

* * *

The Encyclopedia never gave the direct answer that Frisk was looking for, but it was indeed a worthwhile read. Its contents described many of the monster species she's come to know in various categories... body types, life spans... and even known magical abilities. She was surprised to find that all of her family members were there... even the skeleton brothers! She decided to bring the novel downstairs to discuss with everyone, finding that the words it contained could be a great topic that would enlighten them all... especially Alphys. The human would have to keep a careful eye on it, lest the scientist 'borrowed' her book for awhile... it wouldn't be the first time that she 'confiscated' an item of hers for science. She always returns said item within a short time period, but she would rather not risk losing her only, VERY small clue about rescuing Asriel. She finished trotting down the stairs to the delicious smells of BBQ, the spices used on the meat overloaded any other smells that had the potential to permeate the air. With it being 9:00 at night, her stomach was begging for the smells to turn into food pieces to appease it. Her neighbors had gratefully decided to remain in her abode for the New Year, Dave seeming MUCH chirpier than normal... maybe he really likes BBQ?

The dinner seemed to confirm that inquiry, such a small body devoured an entire leg of ham! The rest took their sweet time with the various meats and vegetables on the table, one by one filling themselves up to the brim. Frisk seemed to be the last one done, though that was due to her lateness to the meal. Alphys and Undyne quickly took up the space on the love seat, both feeling much to lethargic for any actions not involving channel flipping and cuddling. Though Toriel did enjoy celebrating the New Year, she was never keen on staying up any later than 10:00, bidding her farewells to the downstairs inhabitants... creating a magical barrier around her bedroom door to block out the impending noise. Frisk, Papyrus and Tahoma were all much too full to even move away from their dining seats, the trio laying their heads down in defeat while they let their stomachs settle. Sans was tempted to join them, but noticed that a certain fuzzy fur ball was nowhere in sight. His instincts told him to keep an eye on Dave tonight... his excitement was unsettling, to say the least. He waltzed over to find him viewing the overlay of their refrigerator.

"Hey Dave, why don't you CHILL out with us?" The normally disgruntled monster gave no heed to the question; instead speeding back and forth between the counters of the kitchen; each time a cup or bottle in hand. He had several cups in front of him, filling each with what Sans had assumed to be alcoholic drinks. He did a headcount and found that he had enough glasses for everyone that was still awake...including Papyrus. Dave waved his hand at Sans, the skeleton taking the queue to walk over while he brought out a specialty bottle. The container itself was a dark brown, so it was a bit of a surprise to see the clear liquid pour into two shot-glasses, each only filled to the half. The white monster passed over a large cup filled with his favorite cola, Dave wore a large grin on his face.

"Y'know, I see a cup for everyone... i'd appreciate it if you stopped messing with my brother some." His previous smile faded fast, instead replaced with an annoyed expression that made him snarl some. He cleared his throat while putting his eye-patch back on... a rare sight to see. From what the skeletal monster understood, he didn't like many people staring at his eye patch.

"Huuuuuuugh, damn kids. Heh, you don't need to worry about nothin' Sans. He might be your younger brother... and he might have the same smarts as a young froggit, but he's still an adult none-the less. I don't got anything against Pap'... I don't really like stupid people, but i'm surrounded by nothing BUT stupid; consequence for being as old as I am." It didn't seem as if the answer satisfied the older brother, leaning his arms further onto the table while staring Dave straight in the eye.

"Look... Papyrus isn't like a typical person. He's a lot more innocent than he seems, and I need to be the one that could stop him from getting messed u-"

"Oh cut the shit, Sans! Geez, and you say I don't give him as much credit! ... Kid, lemme tell you a story." Sans had no means of protest, sitting back down onto the bar stool while taking a sip of his soda, watching Dave intently while he re-cleared his throat.

"Y'see, I've been around for a loooooong time... and I've seen many things just get repeated over... and over... and OVER again! You catch on to those themes eventually... one of them prominent among-st parents and older siblings. You weren't around for it, NO ONE here was! The Underground used to a lot more of a dangerous place... when we were first shoved there, everyone was absolutely terrified. Starvation, panic... the creeping feeling of loss caused a lot of people to go crazy. If you didn't hang onto your child for long enough... then someone was gonna try to mess with them. When those gates from the Ruins opened for the first time, it was even scarier... hell, it even had ME on my toes! I had a brother back then too... he had a little brat of his own. That damn brother of mine NEVER took his son off of his parental leash...THAT was literal until he was a teenager! If you call that over-protective, you'd be putting it lightly." Dave started to phase out for a moment in remembrance, leaving an uncomfortable silence before continued.

"My brother didn't go any farther than Snowdin, the woods there were safe enough. He built himself and his son a small cottage; quaint place. He made a large mistake after they were settled... forcing his adult son into staying with him. That little bastard never went further than a few feet away from him... he never got those 'teenage years' where you could screw up, and daddy or mommy would save you. No, he had to stay at home... almost rotting away with boredom and sadness. One day, while his pops was gone, he took the initiative to explore the woods... I was damn proud of him that day. I could only be so proud of him though... few days later, h-he fell down. Got into a fight with some Froggits... FROGGITS. I'll let you in on a little secret, those guys were NOT to be messed with back then. Damn kid tried to steal from them." Sans merely scrunched his left eye in slight confusion, what was the point in telling him this story?

"Now you're probably thinking '...So what? Doesn't that PROVE I gotta keep an eye on Pap? Why would I let him be in a world like this, knowing he can get hurt?' Well, i'll put it bluntly for yah. Y'see the reason my nephew died was because he was sheltered... he was NEVER taught how the outside world worked. My brother put so much effort into protecting him, that he never bothered to teach his own son how to defend himself. Y'see, I can tell that you don't sleep much. If you're losing rest because you're worrying that much about normal life... bud, you got a problem." Sans nearly slammed his fist onto the table, but withheld to prevent the sound. He didn't want anyone to walk in the kitchen and cause a scene. Dave merely shook his head to and fro, letting out a large sigh.

"I'm telling you Sans, you gotta lay off of Papyrus. Now in the Underground... it wasn't THAT big. It was far easier to keep track of where he went... and with how some monsters could be, it was acceptable for you to baby him. But Sans, we're not there anymore. You nor I know where every nook and cranny is at.. hell, not even the HUMANS, who've been up here this entire time, know where everything is! You can't pretend that you'll always be there to protect Papyrus, in case if he does something stupid... you have to let him learn how the world works on his own. You don't have to kick him out or force him to get a job or to even get himself a girlfriend; No. You just have to let go. Breathe a little bit, and Papyrus will be juuuuuuust fine." His stern tone of voice made Sans want to cringe... he hasn't had this kind of talk for as far back as he could remember. He let out his own huff of annoyance, but after a few minutes to contemplate the elder monster's words, the skeleton was able to calm down. His permanent grin ceased to move, though began to make it's slight movements as he spoke.

"... Dave, just how old ARE you?" The tone was as layered with the serious undertone as before, though the curiosity didn't bother Dave one bit. He let out a hearty cackle while he finished preparing their beverages, placing them all onto a large platter to be delivered.

"HAHA, how old am I? Buddy, I would've seen your forth great aunt give birth to the third... if I knew how skeletons were actually brought into this world. I know that you're worried about Papyrus... and that you might not trust me. I don't really blame you for that... I am just a grump old man, after all. Trust me though when I saw, tonight's gonna be a good night that you wont regret. Tell you what, why don't we make a deal? I'll give out the drinks, and everyone'll have a good time. If something happens with anyone out there, if things go to shit, or if someone gets hurt, I give you full permission to punch my skull in until I can't count anymore... I won't do a damn thing about it. You can ask Tahoma to back me up, but i'm a man of my word. Agreed?" He hung out his hand for an eager shake, Sans taking a moment to think his over over. He mentally hoped that trusting Dave would be the best decision, shaking his hand to confirm the deal. Dave had then pressed the shot-glass into San's hand, already speaking before Sans could ask.

"Now this shit right here, this is what I wanted to show yah. You see, I got a buddy that makes this stuff special... it's completely clear and totally odorless. You can't even tell it's different from plain ol' water! But when it hits you, OH boy, does it knock your ass OUT! Just half a shot will put you at a buzz... which is why I only gave both you and I one. For lightweights, it's enough to make 'em party, and hard. It also sticks with yah too, you don't start feeling sober for at least three hours, and that's if you don't drink anymore than that." The stuffed toy looking monster lifted his shot with pride, clanking it against San's and downing it within a few seconds. He decided that if he was going to let Dave serve his brother a drink, that he should partake in his antics also. Following suit, he finished his shot and followed Dave out into the living area, both plopping down on the love-seat while they watched the four finish their game of cards... each gradually finishing their drinks. The older gentlemen watched with amusement as one by one they began to get drunker... with the exception of Papyrus. Dave slightly nudged his drinking buddy to gain his attention.

"Now just you watch! In about five minutes, they're gonna start arguing about the next game that they're gonna play. Tahoma's gonna start laughing like a fucking maniac, Alphys is gonna start horn-doggin over that intense excuse for a fish over there. Said fish is gonna start getting angry, and fast. Frisk is gonna try and absolutely FAIL at being the peacemaker! Shes' gonna be the one to go along with whatever the hell they decide to do! Papyrus is the only one I cannot WAIT to see... he's the wild card. Hehe." His ruff giggle hardly phased the skeleton, whom was far more relaxed now that his buzz had kicked in.

"H-how the hell would you know any of that?" Again, the smaller monster let out a loud laugh in response. Sans began to notice Alphys gradually nudging into Undyne's armpit, the teal-scaled monster bringing her in for an arm hug while the sat on the longer couch. They had verbally all agreed on a multiplayer video game, the racing one being the most voted out of their options. Four controllers in hand, Alphys was the only person that decided to wait a turn. Tahoma could be heard giggling at Frisk's clumsiness, accidentally dropping the disk repeatedly until she finally managed to insert such disk into the gaming system. Sans could hear a click from his left, Dave taking a picture on his cell-phone to save for later.

"I used to be a bartender... I *hiccup* don't know what I ever quit that job. It was the best job I ever ha*hiccup*. Ehem *hic* Augh *hic*. ANYWAY, I *hic* know a thing or two about how people handle boo*hiccup*. I know how much they ca*hic* handle. Different personalit*hic*es react in strange ways when they got a dri*hic* in their system. I fucking HA*hic*TE hiccups! Damm*hic*." His chuckles did nothing to comfort Dave, finding annoyance in San's amusement.

"Heh heheh, I hiccunderstood you, don't get all hiccuped over it." He gave a sly wink, which merely frustrated the poor monster further. He full out laughed when Dave lifted up his middle finger, only to laugh himself at the sheer rage that Udyne began to show... already losing her first patch at their precious game.

* * *

Several hours of games have past, and the crew (with the exception of Sans and Dave) were hammered. Dave had personally decided to stop with his beverages for the night, wanting to saver the incredibly stupid antics that the rest were pulling. Sans decided to take his further drinking slow, remaining at a solid buzz so that he felt a bit more fair to his brother... at the same time not wanting to get fully drunk in case if something were to happen. It was almost foreign in a way... it was no secret that Sans drank sometimes at Grillbyz... and Papyrus was the one to care for him if he went overboard. It was only fair if he were to return the favor, even if it was as simple as watching him happily joining everyone in their games. Dave was disappointed that Papyrus appeared the stupidly happy drunk, his smile never faltered the entire night through. He even openly laughed at San's puns! Tahoma could be seen leaving their board game while they finished their round of monopoly, leaving for the restroom when Dave yet again nudged Sans in the gut.

"Ooop, there she goes. Was wondering when it was gonna happen tonight, I think she made a new record tonight." His small cackles were not filled with the amount of joy that Sans expected, perking up to see that she had indeed left. He looked at Dave for a split second to notice the small frown that spread across his face, only to shake his head and let out another snark.

"I forgot to mention that Tahoma's a bi-polar drunk. For the most part she giggles like a school girl that had her crush notice her... yet there'll be times that she'll just straight up cry... always for really small and stupid reasons. She'll leave the room, lock herself in the bathroom and let it out before coming back out again. It don't normally last long... longest its lasted was a solid hour. Knowing how much you guys make her happy though, she'll be out in a few minutes; tops." He assured the skeleton with a thumbs up, though his explanation merely gave Sans curiosity.

"...Dave, I've noticed awhile back that she's got a weird... sadness about her. She cries sometimes when nothing happens. Sometimes when she's over, she'll just leave before I could say any of my hilarious jokes, and won't come back until the next day. How long as she been... uh, sick?" He shrugged his shoulders while he asked the question, though no body movement could make the inquiry any lighter or easier to say. Dave gave a small huff after he sipped his cola, looking to the direction of the bathroom while he explained.

"...I'm not sure. S-she didn't know until we went to a doctor a few years back. It didn't really act up until she was a teenager... figured it was just a part of her growing up. We didn't get her any help until the stabbing incident, and have been dealing with it since then. I gotta say though... you guys have really helped her out with that. You guys are so bat-shit crazy, she NEVER has the time to stay upset for long! ...From what I noticed, that damn brother of yours or Frisk always get to her first. She'll be wanting to break a tear one minute, and then gets bombarded with hugs the next. I don't understand how the hell they can tell so damn quickly." His smirk lightened the mood, Sans following suit while offering another shrug.

"That's a hidden talent that both of them have. I've known Pap all my life... I can't keep anything away from him. Even if I wanted to, he'd sniff it out eventually. Frisk must've caught a few pointers from him without us notici- pap?" He interrupted his own sentence while watching his stumbling brother head for the hallway. He had hardly heard Undyne's yell while in mid-conversation, so he gathered that she was ordering Papyrus to check on the late Tahoma. Finishing his cup, the white monster cracked open a can while leaning even further back into his seat; relaxing to the sound of a slamming knock on the bathroom door.

The light chestnut monster wiped her face with the dry towel after a washing... she did it again! Every single time even an ounce of alcohol fills her stomach, it always ended with a solo trip SOMEWHERE to recollect herself. The drunk woman did not wish for her friends to worry about her... not ever again! She needed to stand tall, proud and confident in her own abilities to prevent future, unneeded encouragement. The knock on the door had her wanting to rush out the window, but then took a deep breath while she answered the door. Her hammered friend meekly stood there, trying his absolute best not to fall face first on the tile. His bare hand held onto the door frame, leaning all of his body weight against the door while he looked her deep in the eye.

"'Huh, h-have you been crying? ...W-why?" His smile had quickly faded while Tahoma let out a laugh, trying to cover his correct accusation. She adjusted his position via lifting his chest upwards, forcing the poor skeleton to stand on his feet and to support his own body weight. She then tried to nudge him over to the side so she could make her escape, but the attempt had failed.

"Naw Pap, my face juuuuust felt dirty. I-it happens sometimes, what with having FUR and all! I-i-i mean GEEZE Pap, you got NO idea how much it takes to maintain yourself... if you're NOT just bone! W-we should get out there now, you don't want Sans to feel BONLY, do yah?" Her pun was completely ignored. He didn't laugh like he had been all night, or leave out of her sight to get away from his hated form of word play. Instead, he took a few steps inwards, and kept going. The drunken skeleton almost seemed unaware of his sheer size, cornering the startled mammalian to the room's sink. He gradually talked in a low volume while doing so, hardly above a whisper; a total opposite of his normal tone.

"Tay, I don't understand why you gotta lie about it. We all know why you get sad sometimes... b-but you know what? That's completely okay! What you gotta do, what you have to do next time, is let the Great Papyrus know that you are sad. How can you possbalaly feel better if you do not shaaare what's up-up-upsetting you?" Tahoma quickly snapped out of her dazed state and gently pushed him away, to give herself some space. he obliged immediately, but nearly stumbled out of the hallway while she answered him the best way she knew how; with honesty.

"Ah Pap, it reaaaaally isn't that bigga deal! Iiiiiit happens a LOT when I drink... A LOT. Trust me, it ain't noooo big deal... buuuuut if it makes yah feeel bett-ett-etter, i'll let you know next time. Now let us leave for those games! ...I do NOT want to deal with Undyne when she gets all pissy." Satisfied with her answer, they had both made their way back to the group... only to be bombarded with a large group hug. Undyne had enough strength to pick everyone up in one large, fell swoop; placing them in right in front of their television. Out of annoyance, she also reached for the loveseat and picked it up with both Dave and Sans on it, taking all of her concentration to NOT throw it; instead, she placed it right next to the larger couch.

"ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP! I'm bored of these stupid board games that we've been playing, so it's now ANIME TIME! Get comfy, 'cause Alphys picked THE BEST movie that we got! Sugar lumps, throw the disk in and we'll get started!" Despite her drunken state, Undyne was as passionate as ever when it came to making everyone happy. There were no protests as Alphys gently replaced the disks, rushing to the loveseat that Undyne confiscated for the duo. Sans and Dave were simply too tired to care about their spots getting stolen, opting for the two recliners that were left over instead. Though the first was well worn, the second seemed brand new due to the lack of use, sans finding much more comfort in the plush seating. Undyne didn't seem to notice that they were just as far away as before, though the older men didn't seem to mind, the passing hours brought a lot of laughs and intense silences as the program continued through. The third disc was half-way done when Dave tapped with slumbering Sans awake, though he didn't seem deep enough asleep for it to be much of a bother.

"Hmmm, can't you see that i'm enjoying the program?"

"Didn't know that you could see through your poor excuse for eyelids. I had a question about that glowing eye of yours... what the hell is up with that? I've only seen a few monsters actually have one, but never bothered to ask."' The grump questioned with a much lighter tone, having a genuine curiosity was unlike Dave. Being as old as he claimed to be, it didn't shock Sans that he would be asking if he felt that it was relevant information. He closed his eyes again while he spoke.

"Oh this old thing? It's just a thing I got...mmmmmmagic. It only ever glows if i'm using my magic, or if I get pretty pissed off... though you probably already knew that."

"Huh, I just figured that your emotions were connected with your magic.. ain't that with every monster though?"

"Surprised that you don't know, Mr. Ancient. It depends on how strong the emotion is, or how much control you have over your magic. Like with me, mine can glow even if I don't plan on using magic... but it doesn't do that often. I end up using my magic so often that it just goes hand in hand."

"... I see." There was a brief pause of silence, which bothered the napping skeleton. He opened up one of his eyes to notice Dave snapping another photo, though his eyes had shown more general interest than humor.

"Say, what's with the sudden question anyhow? ...Just because of my magic's color doesn't mean the question's gotta be out of the blue too." He chuckled at his own pun, only for Dave to look over with slight amusement.

"Well I find it a little interesting that you're not the only one with a weird eye. Since when did Pap's glow? I thought his magic was blue like yours, yet his eye's going full on orange." The smaller skeleton stopped the sudden urge to jump up, instead gradually lifting his body to notice that Papyrus's eye was indeed glowing it's light orange. Everyone else had already fallen asleep, save for the three. Papyrus didn't seem to notice their commotion, the skeleton rubbing his eyes to indicate his drowsy disposition. Sans had seen that Tahoma had passed out on his lap, Frisk laying on top of her also. His amazed expression made Dave re-poke his side to bring him back to reality. The action prompted his next response.

"...Oh, that is pretty surprising. Pap's eye rarely glows much... probably because he's consistently happy. He's got good control over his emotions, so he must just be really, REALLY happy tonight."

"His optimism is so damn obnoxious, you'd think that he could work for a lighthouse, with how bright his damn eye glows. Keep in mind, he's still pretty drunk off his ass... and that might be a part of it too. Aw whatever, not a big deal. I'm falling asleep before the sun shows up, I'd recommend you do the same... unless you like to watch weird high-school girls screaming over nothing." Before he could finish his sentence, he could hear a light snore erupting from the small body from the adjacent recliner. Closing his eyes to the sounds of light snoozing and burps.

* * *

Author's Note: Woo! End of another chapter... .


	10. Camping Trip?

Author's Note: I've been trying my hardest to keep all of the characters as original to their design as possible, personality wise. I like to imagine their actual, in game reactions would be similar to what i'm typing for my story, so I hope I'm doing a good job. Like it, love it, and let me know if YOU guys know how I can improve my writing, solid critism does mean a lot to me as a growing writer.

Note about last chapter: Dave got everyone wasted, Sans learned that Dave lived through the monsters first going underground, and Dave learned that Papyrus's eye glows a bright orange when very emotional.

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All ownership and copyright belong to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

"...Why hello there, my child. What has you up at such an hour? Hmm." The goat woman had woken up early, like she had every morning. There was a light sun outside, the glowing orb was just barely hanging above the homes of their neighborhood when a delicate pattering of footsteps walked down their stair-steps. Having just finished making her fresh batch of tea, the monster motioned for Frisk to sit and enjoy a cup; the human happily obliging. They both took their seats at the dining table while they admired the aroma of such a beverage, the lavender and honey was always a great combination of flavors that brought a calm morning or evening. It was a week after the New Year had hit, and the household returned to their normal working routines, Frisk herself only allotted one more week before her new semester began. Toriel was abnormally quieter with their tea session, Frisk asking if there were any problems to break the silence.

"Oh there is nothing to worry about my child. I am just excited to begin teaching again, I can't help but imagine the stories that i'll hear from the little ones... how their vacation went, what they received for Christmas, oh it's always so exciting! I hope that you are elated about going back to school, the break seemed to do you much good. You know, we are all VERY proud of your accomplishments Frisk." The compliment warmed Frisk's heart while she spoke, though it quickly dropped when she remembered her plans. With only a week of freedom left from the confines of her desk, she new well that there wasn't much longer before her trip... down to the Underground. She had pre-preemptively packed for the trip days prior, though she's been unable to leave like she wished to. The human had to be patient, gradually waiting for her roommates to return to their busy schedules. Sans was the first to return to work, both of his jobs kept him away day and night. In a way, Frisk felt some guilt over it, knowing that she was internally grateful that he wouldn't have the time to keep track of her movements. If luck served her well, he won't even notice her disappearance! Toriel had also decided to work much of her day at the library once school was out, and of course Undyne and Alphys were to leave two days from now for their tour... her only real worry was Papyrus. Frisk knew of his sixth sense... being able to tell if there was something out of place. With his new skateboard and the kids at the skate park to keep him busy, she secretly hoped that he wouldn't notice. With all of those thoughts swirling in the back of her mind, she excused herself from the table.

"Oh dear, where are you going at such an early hour? I had thought that you would be taking this time to rest, before your schooling started for this year." The inquiry forced Frisk to halt her steps, halfway through the living room before she turned her body to face her adopted mother. Toriel had always gotten dressed first thing in the morning; her white fur was washed clean of any dirt that could accumulate, her pink shirt and black skirt looked very professional, but was also loose enough for the required movement to watch a bunch of six year old children. It took Frisk only a few moments to think of an excuse to leave, stretching the truth was a specialty. She told Toriel that she wanted to go see Tahoma before she left for work today, that she would be very busy at her two jobs for the next several weeks. It wasn't a blatant lie, so Toriel completely bought her story with a giggle and wave.

"Oh okay Frisk, that sounds like a wonderful idea. Do not be afraid to stop by and make yourselves up a snack. Wish her well for me dear." Her goat-mom stood up from the table to bring the dishes into their beige flavored kitchen, prepared to clean up before her leave for work. Frisk silently thanked Tahoma for having such a busy schedule... most of the time. She opened their bronze doorknob and made her exit, quietly closing the door to prevent waking Papyrus up earlier than intended. It only took her a few moments to gently knock on her neighbor's door, several minutes had passed before it was opened by it's inhabitant. Frisk noticed that the morning dew tainted the bottom of her pants when she walked through their lawns, making a mental note to change her socks before she left; save herself from the unbearable itching that occurred if you wore wet stockings. Tahoma had opened her door, still dressed in full pajamas and her eyes hardly opened.

"Paaaaaaaap, I told you i'd help you out with your puzzles today... but it is TOO. DAMN. EARLY for this cra- Oh heya Frisk. ...What're you doing at this hour? It's like five in the morning." Tahoma motioned for Frisk to enter her home, both taking a seat on their couch while Tahoma rubbed her eyes awake. It was slightly amusing, how quickly she assumed that it was Papyrus at her door. She decided to drop the subject, picking it up for a new one while bringing out her backpack. She put a small map into Tahoma's hands, her confused expression demanded an explanation.

"...Wait, Frisk, you got a map to the Underground? ...Huh, when you look at it this way, it doesn't seem as large as you'd think. What's this for?" The question that Frisk had been wanting to hear for the past several weeks, she began to explain her plans. An hour past while she told of Flowey... and how he used to be the prince of the Underground; how a scientist at the time (not wanting to reveal Alphy's name) injected the combined remains of Asriel and the flower with determination, ultimately wishing to break the monsters free from the underground. She shared how Asriel collected the six human souls... as well as the rest of the monsters from the Underground, turning into his former self. He was the one whom had actually broken the barrier, and had set everyone free. With a heavy heart, she admitted that, at the time, there wasn't a way to save Asriel from returning to the demonic plant... having to leave him underground until Frisk could find a way to revert the process.

"...Wow, t-that's quite the story Frisk. I-I promise I won't tell anyone... you found a way to restore him? You're going back to the Underground by yourself?" Her questions were both answered with a shake of her head, explaining that there was still no way to fix Flowey... but there was help from the scientific community to fix him. She explained that Alphys can contain the plant, so that he couldn't go on a rampage and try to absorb any human souls while he was still Flowey. She then told Tahoma that she didn't intend to go alone, and that she wanted the brown monster before her to join the human on her journey.

"Woah woah woah... I mean i'm honored Frisk, but I'm just you're neighbor, y'know? If it's for something this important to you and to Fl-I mean Asriel... why not take Sans? Why not go with Toriel or Undyne, who can protect you? Hell, Papyrus would do you better than me, they know the Underground much better than I do, they've known you for much longer, and they could protect you bet-" She was interrupted with another shake of the head, her finger gently covered her mouth while she procceeded to explain her reasoning. Unlike Tahoma, whom she hasn't known long, Sans would more than likely know about Flowey... and would not approve of the adventure. As it was, Undyne was extremely busy and would be missed quickly, bringing a mass amount of suspicion that she didn't want to happen. Toriel wasn't supposed to know about her son... and how he turned into the flower that he currently was. Even Papyrus was a bad idea... the poor skeleton was trustworthy with favors, but couldn't hold a secret if his life depended on it. Well, that and his strong bond with Sans would also raise some red flags. Tahoma nodded her head in understanding once Frisk was finished.

"... I see. I'm always so busy... as it is, Dave doesn't even keep track of when I work. I could be gone for a couple of months, and he wouldn't even notice. Hah... heh, hmm. Frisk, you've done nothing but good things for us AND your family. You're really independent, so i'm still a little unsure as to why you even need anyone, but I won't blame you for wanting the company; even if it IS a puss like me. I guess I don't have much of a choice but to join you, huh? ...So, when did you wanna leave?" Her smile greeted her next answer... she wanted to leave as soon as possible. She raised an eyebrow while she went back to her place, giving Tahoma one hour to pack her bags for their trip. She re-entered her home to find Papyrus enjoying a fresh batch of pancakes, greeting her with a large smile. Frisk had forgotten that Toriel had already left, and had begun to write a letter that Papyrus read over.

"...Frisk, where do you plan to go camping? How come I, the great Papyrus, have to of yet heard of such a trip?" The brunette nearly sighed in discontent as she finished the letter, folding the delicate paper into an envelope and sealing it. She placed it neatly on the counter, a small teacup placed on top to prevent it from getting blown away. The skeleton sat there dumbfounded, waiting patiently for Frisk to respond. The human lied to her friend, telling him that she was going to go camping with several of her classmates, before their school-year started. She elaborated to sell the lie, telling him that she had completely forgotten about it until one of her schoolmates reminded her this morning. She thanked herself for bringing her backpack along with her, opening its contents and showing the younger brother a canteen and a few other outdoor supplies. She packed it all away while he let out a huff, embracing Frisk in a large hug before she could walk out of their door.

"Owwp, well, alright. Make sure that you keep yourself safe on this camping trip of yours... I, the great Papyrus, do not wish to receive any phone calls of misfortune while you are away. I'll be sure to let Toriel know, and you may need to call her later... please, do not let our ears have to bear her worrying." She threw a thumbs up in his direction, scurrying on over and entering her neighbor's front door. While she waited for Tahoma to finish packing up, she looked around to find their home much more decorated; many paintings and small sculptures were placed everywhere. There was also a large group picture neatly hung above their television, from their Christmas no more than a month prior. Seeing all of her family so delighted... so happy, it gave her even more determination to save the one person she wished was there... for all of those memories. She began to zone out on the dark green walls when Tahoma arrived back down, a small backpack accompanied her while the car keys hung out of her jean pocket. She motioned for their leave, entering her vehicle and making their way to the next destination... the end of the Underground.

* * *

"...So this is it, huh? Heh, I still remember coming out of this place... you shoulda seen the look on Dave's face. I don't think i've ever seen him that happy before, or since. Hmm, I guess I don't really need to text him huh? I forgot to tell him that I don't gotta work for the next few days... so he'll probably just think that i'm staying over with Cindy or at work. You ready to head in?" The human nodded her head in agreement, excited for the rescue of her friend. She checked her right backpack pocket to make sure that the small box was still tucked neatly inside, she did not want to endanger herself or Tahoma with Flowey's anger. It was strange to think about... there were only a few monsters left that decided to remain Underground. Despite Asgore's best efforts to convince them of their leave, some just had too much of a connection with the caverns below, preferring the home that they've always known over the new world that they would have to discover for themselves. The side of such a mountain was large, the cavern's mouth widened when some of the larger monsters busted it's sides for their escape. Luckily there was no signs of the entrance falling apart, a concrete rim was placed to make absolutely sure that both humans and monsters could arrive and exit safely. The duo took one last long look at their sun, it's halfway point told Frisk that it was a little after 3:00 in the afternoon. She took a large breathe, but quickly exhaled when she heard a yell.

"Wait wait! Hugh, huh, huh... huh, Frisk, why are you camping here?" Papyrus had followed them, taking a moment to catch his breath from rushing up the mountain pass. Tahoma lifted him up straight with his shoulder blades, trying to hide her initial surprise by scolding the tired skeleton.

"Holy shit Pap, you scared the absolute shit outta me! What the hell are you doing so far out, by yourself?" She was again taken aback when his gloved finger pointed a mere inch away from her pink nose, his annoyance was thickly laced through his next set of words.

"Oh for crying out loud, watch that mouth! I DID bring soap for the trip, and i'd rather not waste it washing out that filthy mouth of yours! I had come here to escort Frisk and her group on their trip... but then I saw that you had left with Ms. Potty mouth. I almost had to run a stoplight just to catch up with you two! ...Say, where's everyone else?" The confounded male looked left and right for emphasis, no sight of anyone else's presence could be spotted within several miles. The mountain pass was almost always bare, no more than a few hikers came by once a month, many avoiding the caverns below by continuing along the path to the top. Before Frisk could speak, Tahoma verbally began to defend her.

"We were supposed to meet here at five... they aren't going to be here yet! Frisk is such a good host for the exposition, she made sure that we arrived here early in case they also happened to show up, early. You know what? Frisk does a good enough job on her own... Pap, you should head home. I-I don't wanna be rude, but this IS a girl's only trip. I know that you're nothing but a pile of bones and you don't ACTUALLY have the parts of, y'know, a dude, bu-"

"You're rambling... Frisk, what is actually going on?" It caught both of the women off guard, his sudden interruption and quick change of tone nearly scared Frisk out of her pants. It may not seem like it to most, but Papyrus could get serious when he really wished to be; even if it was only .0001% of the time. She quickly looked up to Tahoma, seeing her silently word out her apology, then shook her head and began to answer Papyrus. She came clean about her plan to save Flowey, though kept out the part that involved his real identity. From as far as she knew, only Alphys and possibly Sans knew of his existence, and she didn't want to risk Papyrus spreading it to anyone... especially her goat-mom. They all sat in a circle while she talked, Papyrus filled with awe while Tahoma looked to the ground in guilt, knowing full well that she spoiled the secret by talking too much. She also kicked herself mentally for not noticing Papyrus following them earlier, his super-amazing race car should have been an obvious sign that he was on their tail. She took a large breath once she was done with the story, Papyrus using his right hand to place on his jawbone while he was in thought. The next several minutes was spent in silence, the dusty earth underneath them was beginning to hurt their rear ends with it's unforgiving surface.

"...So you intend on saving the flower, huh? Nyeheheh! That does not surprise me in the least! I, the Great Papyrus, shall join you on such a journey anyway. Whom else would be better at guiding you two through the Underground, other than myself? However, I do have one condition before we start this adventure, for my services. The condition MUST be met, and you have to pinky swear on it. Tahoma, you are to solve the puzzle that you have been neglecting for the past couple of weeks, the one that I gave to you a month ago. Frisk, YOU must admit your deception to Toriel; both are to be done once we return. Understood?" Tahoma begrudgingly locked her pinky with his, cursing under her breath while clenching her teeth. If it's one thing that the monster couldn't stand, it was letting Papyrus having a 'one-up' on her, and having to owe him. Frisk seemed much more relive pinky swearing with him, and she nodded in understanding of her deal. He knew that Frisk didn't lie, at least not often. Whenever she's had to, it was usually for a good reason, she was relieved that he grasped that concept and chose her side on the subject at hand. All three stood up and made their way into the impending darkness below, Papyrus holding onto the map and leading the way while Tahoma was side-by side with their flashlight. The stone steps that lead down were rough on their feet, with a slight slip due to the condensation that happened in caverns. She could remember right away that they were about to enter New Home, Asgore's castle would be in vision very soon...

* * *

"Woah, I forgot just how humble Asgore could be, this place is pretty tiny. Haha, it's probably the smallest house in New Home." She giggled while she panned through the quaint space, not an item has fallen out of place since their leave a decade ago. His old photographs and books were layered with dust, the furniture would choke out the poor soul who tried to sit down, due to the amount of mold that settled on its surface. Even rubbing your foot against the floor caused a cloud to attack your facial features. The golden flowers that he had planted have also died, the lack of smell only filled Frisk with the dreary sense of abandonment while they scoped through. From what Frisk had seen before, most chose the less invasive route to the surface, which lead around his home and straight to the main streets of the city. Papyrus was gritting his bones together in disgust for this mess, resisting his urge to bring out a mop and dustpan to tidy the place up.

"Ugh, no one has been here since the barrier was destroyed, just looking at this place makes the great Papyrus want to get sick. Let us leave as fast as possible, I do not wish to remain here any longer than necessary." Frisk and Papyrus were already walking through his previous front door before noticing that the brightness from their flashlight was not present. Frisk looked behind her and saw that Tahoma had gone, motioning Papyrus to stay in place while she fetched the curious monster. He merely stomped his foot with response, waving her off to proceed. She walked down the hall and noticed that Tahoma had entered their children's room, admiring the many toys that remained in their comfortable box. The small bear figurine was what caught her attention, pulling the back of it's string to enjoy the tune it sang out into the darkness. Frisk crouched by her side, noticing that her smile was one of reminiscence.

"Oh sorry about making you guys wait... I just wanted to see some of the history of this place. To think, our very KING lived here for so long... and kept kids toys to boot. Heh... the king and queen really did love children. I bet they made really great parents, huh?" She asked while she stood up, offering her hand to the human while she smiled in response, both meeting the impatient monster as he opened the door, leading to the large buildings that made up the abandoned city. Every step through the streets gave a small echo in response, the crew only noticed a monster family sprinkled in a few houses; the primary monsters they found were much older in age. Several had greeted them as they walked, some seemed to be exhausted and noticeably surprised by their presence. The shops that used to plaster ever street corner were no more than empty buildings, save for the one that was run by a lizard-esque monster. Such a monster expressed gratitude at their spending, sharing the information that ceased to surprise them; he had hardly any customers anymore. When Papyrus asked why he hadn't shut down the store, it was because if hadn't kept it open, the monsters that lived near him would have nothing to buy and would have to move to the surface. The good-bye was slightly depressing, though Tahoma seemed to take the situation more to heart as they heard from more monsters. They were fortunate if the food wasn't stale or molding, life had actually gotten worse for the beings that decided to remain in New Home. Frisk had found an older apartment to be a good spot for rest... though there was no light to show the difference between day or night, she still had her watch with her. It was 10:00 in the evening, and everyone was tired from their trek. They had made good progress, almost out of the city within 7 hours of walking! The group had begun to make themselves comfortable when Frisk noticed Tahoma's dreary mood.

"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing Frisk... well, nothing to do with me. I just find it kinda sad, how everyone who lives down here is virtually forgotten... you heard what a lot of them were saying. They don't get much help from the surface, no one comes down to help them! I-I guess I just feel kinda guilty about it, I honestly thought that everyone had left when the barrier was broken. Heh, I guess some people just don't like the change, but I can't really blame 'em." Frisk assured her that, once they got back, she would mention to Asgore about a new issue that they should care for. As it was, the plan Sans had created was already taking place, though the results of such a plan have to of yet been seen. She shook her head to and fro, then delivered her a grateful smile while embracing her in a hug.

"Aw, thanks Frisk. We should probably get some shut-eye, I don't wanna be here any longer than necessary. Where the hell is Papyrus at anyhow?" Both looked around their chosen room, and he was nowhere in sight. The paint that used to cover the walls have gradually peeled off, leaving a sickly pale yellow complexion that surrounded them. There were no lights in this area, so the darkness swallowed them all up like a pig in a blanket. They could hear a very loud creak of their door as it opened, Papyrus stood in the doorway with plaid pajamas and a nightcap. He walked over to the well-worn couch, patting for both to join him on its comforts. Frisk happily obliged, wrapping herself up in the snow-patterned blanket that she brought for herself. Tahoma looked over and waved it off, remaining in her spot while she responded.

"Oh i'll sleep in a bit... I just want some time to chill out." Chill out may have been a bit literal for her own tastes, it was freezing! Though it was virtually the same climate as before the barrier had broken, the cavern itself received a chill from the several openings that accompanied the barrier's break. The breeze brought a certain kind of cold... wet, almost sticking to her fur. She was grateful for the fur that she was born with, though couldn't deny that not even her natural coating would be enough to not shiver. She glanced back to see that the duo had indeed fallen asleep, their slight snores had Tahoma yawning while she drifted into a slumber of her own. She wasn't asleep for long before the tired monster felt her body get carried, a blanket neatly being tucked around her body to regain the lost warmth from the window. Tahoma didn't lie when she claims that her luggage to dreamland was light, though she always woke up so tired that there was nothing that could get a rise out of her, normally. She hardly noticed the weight shift when Papyrus laid back down, placing the dozed Frisk back in her spot while they knocked out.

* * *

"Hey Tori, how's the day been?" Sans stretched out on their love seat, Toriel had been enjoying her Adventure Tales novel when he arrived home from work that evening. He seemed calm, almost at a total peace... today was a very relaxed day at work. She turned to the next page, so intent on finishing her next chapter that she almost didn't notice her skeletal friend talking with her. She looked him in the eyes while she responded, she always made sure that the person she conversed with had her attention.

"Oh the day has been very nice~ The children were so excited today, and they gave me many letters exploring their adventures with the holiday. It was such a delight reading them, oh I must remember to place them in my album. Though I cannot lie that I am slightly worried... Frisk and Papyrus went camping for her last week on break, I wish they had told me sooner. I could have packed them a few pies to share with their friends." She placed her large, white paw on her maw while she shared this news. Sans could feel his eye begin to glow, but took control so that it didn't. He received a message from Papyrus about the whole thing... how he wanted to escort them on their trip. Yet, something seemed incredibly off about the subject... it came about so suddenly. Toriel handed him the letters from earlier... the one from Frisk and the sticky note that Papyrus also left behind.

'Dear Toriel and Sans,

So I completely forgot about a camping trip that my friends have been planning. They wanted some fresh air away from the city before we gotta go back to school, and I didn't remember until they reminded me this morning. I figured you guys were at work, so I decided to leave this note instead... don't worry about us, mom! We're gonna be at a camping site, so we'll do just fine! We won't have much of a reception though, so i'll try to call you whenever I can! I'll be home soon.

Love, Frisk.'

'Dear Sans,

I have decided that I, the Great Papyrus, shall escort Frisk and her group for their camping trip. I've packed all of my provisional camping things, and I will make absolutely sure she comes home safe and sound.

Signed, Cool Dude.'

"I am at least relieved that Papyrus took the initiative to watch after Frisk for us. You know, he really has grown up since we've arrived at the surface. Why, just the other day he mentioned looking for a place to work! Is that not wonderful?" Sans put aside his suspicions for the time being, not wanting to worry her guardian. He shook his head in agreement, leaning even further into the white furniture peace to help relax. He knew that Papyrus was more than capable of handling himself now... though in a way, he had a bad feeling in the back of his gut that something was amiss. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Heh, I guess it is. I hope he's not gone too long... he'll leave me feeling BONEly." Their chuckles filled the air with a sense of happiness, his jokes NEVER got old for either one of them. Just then they heard the click of their door, the smaller monster walking inside. He climbed up on their side table, sitting on the edge while facing Sans. His facial expression didn't read good news, his golden eyes almost seemed flared up with rage.

"Well well, doesn't that look like the face of a happy camper?" His wink had Toriel giggling again, though Dave's abrupt snarl of discontent disrupted the joyful mood.

"Yeah yeah, i'll pretend to get the reference. Yah REALLY wanna know why i'm here? 'Cause Tahoma didn't show up for work this mornin'... I had Cindy at my doorstep while I was showering. My kid reaaaaally dodged a bullet there, she had the gall to just walk straight in and knock on the bathroom door. Like damn, she got comfortable there fast. Ahem, anyway, I got no idea where she's at. Y'all seen her around?" Both looked at each other, searching for an answer among-st their facial features. They shook their heads for a no.

"Oh our apologies... we could try texting Papyrus to ask if he has seen her, or has knowledge of where she is. He and Frisk have decided to go camping, so I hope that they will able to answer soon. I'll get started on that." Toriel had begun texting on her phone while they two males shared a similar look. Tahoma's dissapearance only reaffirmed San's suspicion that a plot had boiled while he wasn't paying attention. Both he and Dave shared a stare of understanding, not needing words to confirm their theory... that Tahoma had run off with Frisk and Papyrus. The camping trip was completely out of the blue, and that didn't sit well with either gentleman. Dave scratched the back of his neck, adjusting his eye-patch while he strolled towards there door.

"Thanks doll... normally I wouldn't care THAT much. But, y'know how Tahoma is. If she isn't mouthing off about what she's doing or what someone else is up to, then she's sleeping. She'll probably come home when she's done with whatever she's doing, so I wouldn't worry much about it. Have a good one." The closing of his door wasn't the only sound that rung through San's ear drums. Not a moment later his phone alerted him with a call, sighing while he stood up to leave for his room. He knew it was Asgore... the project began a week ago, and he had yet to receive any reports of it's success. He pitied the poor King in a way... even if Sans didn't feel so, the King treated all of the monsters like family. Many have turned sour... spoiled, since their leave from their confinement. The fact that so many have caused problems for others had to be tough to watch, let alone deal with. He turned on the projector to meet the tired soul face to face, dark rings began to form under his eyes. Sans could sympathize, his finger could feel a similar result from the lack of sleep. Asgore stifled a yawn before lifted a partchment, the reports brought in from their affiliates.

"Why good afternoon, Sans. How are you on this fine day?" Asgore was always the one for small talk... he never got directly to the point without a bit of conversing first. Sans was much more patient with his King, however; he honestly didn't mind small-talk. He merely shrugged, sitting back on his computer chair and placing his feet atop his footrest.

"Not bad. Daylights an enjoyable thing... kinda hard to have a bad day if the sun's bright as me, heh. So... how are the reports lookin?" His chuckle was music to his skull, it had been a long time since he'd heard the modest laugh of his old friend. The large goat-monster wore his traditional robes today, a rare sight that shared his morning story... he had a meeting with more human and monster ambassadors. The king took his role as seriously as he needed to, consistently checking on the state of the world to make sure everyone was content, to assure that his fellow monsters were happy. He cleared his throat before taking his queue.

"Ha Ha hmm. Oh good, I am glad to hear that. As for the report, we are seeing much more success than failure. Though it is an expensive feat thus far, the Tsunderplanes have been ever more than courteous for their services. So far we've seen many monsters take the deal, several humans have as well. We will not have many findings until the end of this month, when their vacation is over. I am confident that their trips will shed more light on this world, for both humans and monsters. I have several more meetings to attend to, so I wish you well. I hope you have a grand day, Sans. Tell the family that I had said hello." His small and wave was gracious as it was gentle, ending the call with a good note. San's permanent grin widened at the thought of his plan succeeding... what's the best cure for feeling down, than a small vacation? So far the program hasn't served as many monsters as expected... but that's soon to chance once they see results. He decided to nap off his thoughts, though not before his phone's text tone went off. He checked to see that it was Dave.

'Alright, here's the deal. I'm giving them that week to get their asses back here. Knowing how you are, you're already planning to leave after work tomorrow. As a favor, don't. If it's what i'm thinkin', us meddlin ain't gonna do any good right now. Chill out until next week... and then that's when we'll go after 'em. In the meantime, you better get yo ass in gear with that woman... you don't wanna miss out on the chance for a good night, eh?' Sans sighed as he read the text, though chuckled while he sent his response. He shut off his phone after it was sent, lest he get swept up in an unwanted conversation.

'Heh, I guess we'll do it your way. After all, I know how SHORT-tempered you can be. Heheheheh.'

* * *

Author's Note: So this chapter ended up shorter than I wished, but I figured that this would be a good place to stop. I feel as if i'm not 'beefing' up my story, and that my vocab could use some work. I'll try to work on making the story more interesting, word-wise.


	11. Through the Hotlands we go!

Author's Note: Hi. Hope y'all like it, love it, and let me know how I can improve.

Disclaimer: I do not own the game/franchise Undertale. All copyright and ownership belong to Toby Fox and his affiliates.

* * *

Several days had passed of travel, the group had reached their forth day of travelling and were close to exiting the Hotlands. All three had to take many breaks from the heat, their only salvation from their bodies giving out were the water canteens that they had brought with them. The furred creature had by far the worst time, almost falling unconscious several times. The only creatures in sight were those that could not stand the breezes outside of their home... one of them kept a hotel running for any human passerby's... at least, that's why Frisk had assumed before noticing several school buses parked up front. The MTT resort and casinos were always kept in the same shape from Mettaton's reign, this was the second that they had come across. The group sighed with relief to see that another had opened up on the other end of Hotland, at the border between such a burning area and the Waterfall. It was a moderate surprise, though she was relieved to see more forms of life take their visits in the Underground. According to the ghoul behind the desk, when any form of humanity took the plunge down below, they always came in droves. Most of the rooms of this resort were completely filled with high school and college students, their school trip meant to enlighten the upcoming generations on the previous suffering of monsters. They were fortunate that there was one more room open and available... though it displeased Tahoma to see only one bed occupy the space. Frisk merely shrugged while she checked her belongings, listening in on Tahoma's self-reflecting.

"Hot damn, how can anyone live out here if they're not on fire?! I swear I singed somewhere... at least this place has air-conditioning. At least we don't have much longer until we hit the marsh. The change will be so nice." She sighed with relief when she checked her phone, no messages occupied her memory space. The four-armed monster felt much more confident about Dave being oblivious with each passing day, though knew in the back of her mind that she would need a good excuse for not contacting him. Her temptation to contact her adoptive father was strong, but decided it would be in her best interests to resist. Papyrus came out of their restroom with the same plaid pajamas and nightcap, faking a fatigue that he didn't have by lying underneath the covers. The night was late, the residents of the hotel had already fallen asleep by the time they had arrived. Papyrus was a creature that did need sleep, but he could remain awake for several days if the situation called for it. He was excited, camping was fun! Frisk was probably the most exhausted of them all... halfway through the day, they encountered some territorial monsters that she had to convince to let them through. The monsters of this nature have become much more stubborn... with very few monsters occupying their previous home, they had the rights to whatever buildings or plains were empty. Needless to say, she was socially and physically spent for the day. Tahoma sat next to the window out-looking their past path... there was nothing but small lava pits and reddened dirt as far as the eye could see. It was overwhelming in a way... they had walked the entire way through within just a few days. If Tahoma hadn't taken the trek herself, she would have assumed the distance would've been ages away from any destination. She nearly jumped with a light tap of her top shoulder, a familiar story book closed the space between herself and the towering skeleton.

"Alright, now it's your turn to read the story. Frisk has been doing it since we left!" Before she could respond, he hopped straight into bed and tucked himself in, Frisk laying right next to him. It was strange to Tahoma, how it wasn't awkward for Frisk and Papyrus to share such a small space.. but then she thought back on Dave. Dave was small, and she was so used to having him sleep on her lap during movie nights. She figured it was the same context... they had known each other for so long and grew up together, so there was nothing foreign between the two. She cringed while opening up the story book... she didn't mind children's books, but she had heard the story multiple times now! She regretted not bringing a novel with her... she didn't read as much as she used to, but at least it would leverage for having to read this every night. She tried her best not to judge Papyrus for needing a story to fall asleep, herself having just kicked the habit of sleeping with a stuffed animal. Frisk looked as if she had already fallen asleep, the skeleton pre-preemptively closed his eyes for the story.

"Ah, alright. The Adventures of Fluffy Bunny, by... wait, the author's name's not? All I can read is Fox. A-anyway, the story begins when Fluffy the rabbit was hopping along the path to home. He and his buddy friends-" She stood there for a solid moment, then had a stroke of genius. If Papyrus was going to make her read the story... then he would pay for it. She wasn't gong to let the perfect opportunity to mess with him slip out of her grasp. She quickly continued so he wouldn't catch on, fake coughing to allude from her moment of silence.

"Excuse me, sorry. Anyway, where was I? AH yes, Fluffy the Bunny was hopping along the path to home. He and his Bunny friends were shocked about the massive storm that was seen over the horizon... they were TERRIFIED of-"

"HEY! That's not how the story goes!" Papyrus abruptly sat up in annoyance, though the interruption did not stir the tired human to his right. She merely cuddled into the warmth of the sheets, deep asleep while he began to rattle his bones. Tahoma tried her best not to laugh, merely waving the notion away while gently pushing Papyrus back down into his sleeping position.

"Oh really? Heh, sorry Pap. I must have read it wrong. Try to sleep, and i'll finish up reading aloud the beautiful adventures of Fluffy Bunny." He threw a glare in her direction, but conceded and closed his eyes. She cleared her throat, starting from the actual point in the story. She wasn't done messing with him, deciding to be more lucrative with her changes.

"Ahem, so Fluffy the rabbit was hopping along the path to home. He and his BESTEST buddies walked along the long, winding road. Along the way they met a Fox, his name was Toby. He had told them of a carrot brush at the end of the path, filled to the brim with celery and brisket, all ready to eat. They were all so excited! They have been craving such a lunch all day! He joined them on their adventure, also wanting his fill of cranberry sauce and butterscotch candy." She looked to see that his head remained down while she turned the page. He didn't seem to mind her changes.. because they hardly changed the story. Tahoma took another deep breath, reading the next several pages as normal... before making her changes.

"Oh, what's that? Said the Fluffy Bunny. They were at the end of the road, but there was no brush to be seen! Instead was a human, seven feet tall! They greeted such a human, who grabbed them all up for a tea party. They arrived in his home... and got the stove-top rea-"

"OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH!" Papyrus quickly ripped the book from her hands, clearly distraught at her story fix. She let out a hearty laugh while he brought the blanket over his head, pouting while he read himself the rest of the story. She simply shook her head while returning to her seat at the window, nothing new could be seen from her last visual trip outside. Papyrus merely huffed after a few minutes of sulking, setting the book on his bedside while turning towards Tahoma's direction. Despite his yelling, Frisk was still in dreamland.

"Auugh, at least Frisk knows how to read it right. I should've recorded Sans reading the story... he always knows how to do it best." He crossed his arms with disapproval, merely getting a loud laugh as a reaction.

"Haha, oh come on Pap'. I did juuuuust fine, I made it WAY less boring. Besides, you gotta kick some habits someday... don't you get bored of that story? I've only been listening in on the story for the past four days, and i'm already tired of it." He shook his head for a big fat no, a large grin spread across his skull while he explained.

"Why of course not! I always have good dreams because of Fluffy Bunny. ...Though the Great Papyrus does find it quite strange that it is not the same for you. The beginning, their adventure, the fantastic ending is the best! Yet, you've had nothing but scary dreams." He quickly changed from delighted to concerned, looking at Tahoma as if she was sick. A blush began to creep on her cheeks... there was no hiding how often she had nightmares. Oh she had tried... always falling asleep after everyone else and being the first one awake. Yet, both of her travelling partners have noticed. Neither one had said much, though she could tell that they knew by how they treated her in the morning. They were far more gentle than at any other point in the day... even offering to sleep for longer on some mornings. She shook her head to dismiss his statement, meeting his eyes while she spoke.

"Oh it ain't a big deal Pap.. i'm used to it, really. They aren't even that scary, honest! Y'know, you should probably fall asleep here soon... we only got a few hours before we have to set out again. I can't WAIT to get out of this heat!" His worried expression didn't change as he laid back down, turning away and closing his eyes for some rest. Tahoma spent the next hour tinkering with her phone... lost in thought for this adventure. She quietly rechecked her bags for the morning, though looked in horror to see her pill bottle nearly empty. She only had two days worth of her medicine left... once that was gone, she would go through the withdrawal... and ultimately back in a place she hadn't been since she moved to California. The mammalian could only hope that their adventure would keep her distracted... she refused to let her mentality slip in front of her friends. She took the third to last pill, storing it safely in her leather bag before crouching on the floor. She curled up with the woven blanket Frisk insisted that she used, falling asleep once again to the sounds of quaint snores.

It was four in the morning when Papyrus awoke to the same cries. He was a moderate sleeper, though this was the third time that he woke up to her nightmares. Frisk was still asleep, he could only wonder how the brunette could sleep so soundly, while their friend was in a mental turmoil. Then again, he also remembered that Frisk had become a much deeper sleeper since she was a child. He looked at his phone's time to see that they had three hours left, before it was time to get moving again. He stirred, the skeleton couldn't fall back asleep! He looked around the room to not see her in sight... almost stepping on her body when he nearly arose to go looking. She was curled up like their dog monsters... tears were streaming down her face while her nose twitched. Unbeknownst to the two women, Papyrus had been trying to find a solution for her scary dreams. The coziest blanket, full belly, and more time to sleep had done no good. He even tried reading Fluffy Bunny aloud, but not even the power of bun bun's could quell her mind. Waking her up was also fruitless... it had actually made her dreams worse! He wished that his brother or Toriel were here... Sans was far more experienced in dealing with nightmares and even night terrors. Having them for the longest time, he knew his brother could find an answer to this conundrum. He began to sort through his mind anything else could try... and then struck a light-bulb. She was like a dog-monster... right? What if she liked pets?

The room itself was almost completely black, the only light to such darkness revolved around a nightlight placed in the corner of the room. He could see her ominous silhouette, though just barely. His left arm reached downward, his appendage was long enough to reach the top of her head without having to shift his position in the bed. The skeletal hand grazed her scalp, careful so that he didn't poke himself with her short horns. He began to scratch next to her ear, noticing that her mood quickly shifted from anxious to relaxed. It amazed him just how much most furry creatures loved to get pet... emphasis on most. He felt a stab of jealousy just thinking that, if only he could be pet! Being a skeleton had many glorious advantages, but he would never know the joy of what a good scratch felt like. After several minutes, her cries had completely stopped in their vocal tracks... the trick had worked! He promised to keep a mental note of his answer, falling back into his slumbers.

* * *

"'Oh oh oh! We *huff* are nearly there!"' Tahoma could feel sweat begin to douse her fur, yet she paid no heed to it. It was a strange transition... several small marsh paddies could be seen a few feet away between the border of Hotland and the Waterfall. Unlike the flatland that they had just crossed, the trio were faced with a dark abyss filled with trees and wet soil. If you looked closely, several bright hues of blue could be seen. Their pace quickened as they reached their next destination... they were on their fifth day of travel. Frisk had warned them both to keep a careful eye out for a golden flower... they would have before, but Flowey would be caught dead before entering the hotlands unnecessarily; the demonic plant could easily burn in a lava pit if he wasn't careful. Frisk had a feeling in the bottom of her stomach that he wouldn't present himself until they reached the Ruins... where she had seen Asriel for the final time. It made her heart drop thinking about now... how it isn't until this trip that she went to save him. Yet, she remained determined to revert him back! The determination gave her a spring in her step while she rushed to catch up with Papyrus and Tahoma, whom are looking over the map. There was so much to the Underground than what the map could show... but at the same time, the layout was neat... tidy enough that traversing these lands weren't that difficult.

"Woah, I forgot just how beautiful the waterfall could be. Well, we're not AT the actual waterfall yet... but I can't wait to go through here. Hopefully it won't take as long... I wonder if the buses go through here too? What do you think, Frisk?" She questioned the human while admiring the echo flower, amused by the glowing hue and how it repeated her sentence back to her. Frisk explained that it would not be surprising if the buses went through all of the Underground... up to Snowdin. Papyrus waved the duo over from there spot, proudly displaying said bus being parked and ready for its departure. They quickly rushed over to find that it was another group of college students... through some persuasion, Frisk got them the very back seats. She sighed with relief... the marshes were some of the more relaxed places to traverse, but this way of transport was much faster and more efficient. If it wasn't for the group sleeping in, they would have asked about it before! Tahoma let out a huff of annoyance... out of all the times they could catch a bus, it was AFTER they passed through that dastardly heat!

"Okay students, listen up! Today our stops include the largest portion of the marsh, we'll stop by there so you can truly observe the plants known as Echo Flowers. Next we shall stop by the many homes of the previous inhabitants... our last stop will be at the MTT hotel in the midst of the marsh. Any questions?" Papyrus attempted to raise his hand, though was quickly denied via Tahoma grabbing it and pulling back down. She shook her head as a no, the teacher having the driver proceed with vehicular movement. Papyrus looked to his left in confusion, the older woman let go of his gloved hand and placed her four on her lap.

"Tahoma, why must you interrupt the education that I could receive? I haven't even asked the question, and you are already denying my opportunity for learning!" Despite his boisterous nature, he knew to keep his voice down while the students chatted among st themselves... Toriel had especially taught him well when they went to the library. Frisk noticed that several of the humans on this trip kept quiet, eavesdropping to their hearts content as they waited for their marshy adventure to begin.

"Awk, look Pap. We're not here to learn like the rest of everyone here is, we're JUST here to hop a ride over to Snowdin... besides, what the hel-ahem, heck, did you need to know?" She quickly corrected herself, lest the skeleton let out an outburst for her language. He bore a grin of approval, though quickly switched to a curious look while he asked his question.

"Well it's quite simple! I was wondering when we were going to stop for a snack break! The Great Papyrus must keep himself well fed if I am to stay in tip top physical condition!"' Frisk was not the only one to giggle, a triplet of listeners also let out a laugh of their own. The human couldn't tell if she should mention their 'viewers', though she saw no harm in Papyrus's words to warrant a ruckus. Tahoma merely shook her head while reaching into her backpack... a harsh reminder that they indeed were running low on food supplies. They had completely forgotten to buy more at their last stop! She handed Papyrus her last packed lunch, filled with several monster-grown fruits and snack bars. Frisk had also brought out some of her stash, though from what she could visually see, Frisk still had several days worth left for herself. He took it graciously, placing an apple on her lap while diving into the sugary bar. An almost sickly pale student turned his head in awe... the colors of said fruit were vivid! Light purples and pinks splashed the skin of the rounded food, it looked fake to him. Frisk handed him one of her own to satisfy his curiosity, though he rejected it out of fear for what it was.

"...So what the hell IS that thing? That CAN'T be real!" The dark skinned girl on his right was much more blunt in her wonder, catching Tahoma off guard while Frisk handed her the fruit. She spun it around in wonder while feeling it's flesh. It was spongy, the skin was as thin as a peach! Papyrus took his queue to explain immediately.

"Hmm? You have to of yet seen such a fine fruit before? Well they are grown by monsters like the Great Papyrus! From what I know of human food, they taste to your equivalent of a watermelon. Is it not amazing?" Another young adult took notice of the conversation, the fruit was getting passed around for all whom were interested to see. His demeanor was almost questionable... he seemed bewildered, yet scoffed as it was passed to him.

"What's the difference between human food and 'monster' food anyway? It's all food, so I don't know what's so special about it!"

"It's made of mostly magic dude. Unlike food you guys grow and produce, ours gets absorbed straight into you... know what that means right? I'll give you a hint, no bathroom breaks." Tahoma snickered as his eyes grew wide, though was slightly surprised that he didn't know. Humans have been indulging in monster foods since their arrival to the surface... vise-versa for monsters as well. Yet he didn't know the difference? He took the orb and observed it, resisting the urge to take a bite while he passed it along.

"Woah wait, really? So you could, like, eat this stuff and never have to take a dump? ...That's actually pretty awesome!"

"Wait, I don't understand that. Monsters are mostly made up of magic, and only some physical matter right? We're also the opposite... so wouldn't that also be an opposite affect when it comes to food? Like instead of us absorbing it, it would just go straight through?" Her theory was rebuttal-ed the second it was finished by the student sitting next to her, pushing up his glasses while he too, examined such a fruit.

"No no, that's not how it works. Just because we may not have magic in us, doesn't mean we can't absorb the nutrition and the contents of the fruit. The properties of the food do not change just because it's getting eaten by something that's different." One theory after the next began to ring through the entire vehicle, each being argued for and against while the actual monsters only sat back to listen. They were never referred to again after that... it was as if they had completely forgotten that the trio was there! If that wasn't enough, each stop lasted several hours... though it was enjoyable to take a calm tour of the wet lands. Frisk decided to take them on a tour of her own... to Temmie Village.

Their arrival to said town was bittersweet. The entire village was completely barren, all of the small huts and houses were completely empty of any Tems. The enormous statue of a posing Temmie was completely covered in dust and moss... though they noticed that the moss was taped on. Frisk entered the shop to confirm that even the shopkeeper Tem had indeed left, nothing left over except for the actual building. She even peeled off their wallpaper... the wooden floors were also gone. It was as if the Tems had left nothing but what they couldn't take behind... quite literally. Tahoma sat on one of the bunches and sighed, Frisk sitting next to her while she contemplated this place.

"Y'know Frisk, I had only ever heard of Temmies. I-I never really went further than Snowdin and I only ever been in Waterfall once or twice. Heard of these guys in rumors, kinda wished to meet one. They were raved about... because of how WEIRD everyone thought they were. I dunno, woulda been nice to see them myself. Aw well, we should probably be heading back soon... this place is nice and all, but it feels too empty for my taste." Frisk nodded her head in agreement, but then saw a peculiar sight. There was a small white figure walking towards their bench... wearing a green shirt and strolling on four legs. The black hair had a green stripe through it, the expression it wore was... interesting. Frisk was elated to see a Temmie after several years... it was as if they disappeared off the planet! The Temmie smiled and greeted himself, placing the back he was carrying in his maw on the ground.

"Oh hello there, I am Bob. You are the human that had freed us, are you not? My my, how you have grown! What brings you back to old Temmie Village?" Frisk stretched the truth once again... she didn't know much about Bob. He seemed trustworthy enough (considering that he was also a Temmie), but she didn't want to risk word of her presence getting out too early, or at all actually. She explained how they were taking a tour with a college class that happened to pass through... and that Frisk needed to retrieve something that she left behind awhile back. He nodded in response.

"What a coincidence, I happen to be here for the same thing! I had completely forgotten several pieces of literature that I have been desperately craving to read again... the surface has many things, but any copies to these books are not one of them. I was pleasantly surprised to find them here, I figured that one of the other Temmies might have stolen it for themselves. Hmm hmm, well, I wish you both the best of luck with your adventure. Now if you shall excuse m-"

"W8 4 me!" Tahoma had nearly laughed out loud at the cry, placing her upper right paw on her mouth to prevent the sound from escaping. It sounded so... ghetto, to put it bluntly. The smaller Tem was dressed in a blue and purple striped shirt... very similar to what Frisk wore when she first fell down to the Underground. She was also carrying something, a black backpack that seemed too big for the poor soul to carry. She scurried along and made an abrupt stop to catch her breath... Bob had no reaction to her next set of words.

"Oh h0i, I'm Temmie! Diz is mI friend, Bob! We R here 2 get stuffz, good stuffz! Y ez a human! Human, CUTE!" Frisk swore that she saw heart symbols burst out of her eyes, they pierced through her face and the back of her head. Bob merely shook his noggin while placing a gentle paw on her shoulder, clearing his throat to explain Frisk's story. Temmie got bored halfway through however, her face began to shift to the right. By the time he was done, her head was completely blank, Temmie taking a moment to compose herself back to reality. Tahoma wanted to excuse herself... she couldn't tell if she wanted to laugh with hysterics, or to run away and never come back. The duo began to walk away before Temmie had another disruptive thought aloud.

"Oh w8. I found, note. Note, SUPER CUTE! Human, U R V3RY CUTE! Tem muuuust gif, 4 4ull CUTE!" She power hopped to Frisk's side, pulling the envelope from seemingly out of nowhere. The short-haired brunette gratefully took the letter, taking a closer look at it while the doggie duo left. Papyrus had finally showed up after walking around the area, oblivious to the event that had just occurred. Tahoma could hardly breathe with how hard she was laughing, confusing the poor skeleton while he sat on the bench.

"What is it that is greatly amusing you? I want to laugh too!" Tahoma wiped away a tear, taking a few deep breaths to recover herself.

"Phew haha, you just missed the Temmies. No wonder people liked them so much! The way she spoke was so painful... it was the weirdest crap I think I've ever witnessed. I mean, her face freaking fell off her body! How the hell does that happen? Hah, ain't that right Frisk? ...Wait, why are you handing me the letter?" Papyrus grabbed said letter from Tahoma's fingers, Frisk verbally pointing out that it was addressed to her. Papyrus found the writing hard to read... the ink was smudged, and you could just barely make out Tahoma's name. He handed her back the note, she decided to open it on the spot and take a read. It didn't take long for her expression of joy to change of one of awe, quietly handing Frisk back the letter while she stood up and took a walk away from her group. Papyrus took her seat next to Frisk, so that he could read the letter aloud.

"Ahem, Dear Tahoma,

'This letter will be written many years before it will be read... your mother and I have decided to entrust these words onto you when we felt as if you were old enough. You're just such a tiny tot now... you're going to turn 3! It may seem like a distant memory, as you read these words... but trust us when we say, we're so excited to watch you grow up! We only wish it could remain this way... but it's not fated to be so. You see, we are not the wealthiest... well, no one in the Underground is. We're all stuck in the same boat, I guess you could say we got the poop deck. I shouldn't sugar coat it so much, and even as I write these words, it makes my heart cringe. Tahoma, we had no choice but to give you up... we plan so once you turn 3 years old. Your mother cries every night since we've made this decision... but we had to do what was best for you! You're our little sunshine, and we want our sunshine to be taken care of properly. We won't be gone forever, of course! We'll always be your parents... we'll just be gone for a little while. Long enough that you'll forget that we're mom and dad, and instead we'll be auntie and uncle. Dave will be your actual dad... again trust us when we say, he'll take real good care of you...

There is one thing that we felt that you should know. It's about your heritage, where you came from...' nyeeeeeeeh I can't read anymore! The last lines are completely smudged!" Papyrus stomped his foot on the ground in frustration, he hated when stories were cut short! Not to mention that this was the second time in a row that the atrocity occurred, he became annoyed fast. Frisk told Papyrus to head back to the bus while she went to grab Tahoma... if they stayed here for much longer, they would miss their ride. He huffed in agreement, taking his trek back while the human went into the monster's direction. She hadn't walked far, only a few minutes away and she was found sitting on the nearest log. There were no tears streaming down her cheeks, but her eyes were watering. Her jeans pressed against the dead wood as she asked Tahoma how she was handling herself.

"O-oh it's fine Frisk! Really, I-I'm actually kind of glad that I know now... I guess i'm just upset that I didn't see this earlier... I'm pissed that Dave never told me! But that's assuming that he already knew, huh? They might've wrote it preemptively, before even asking him. Heh, I guess I won't know until I talk with him... wait, why the hell did Temm- aw forget it. It's a Temmie, who the hell could know, huh?" Frisk's giggle lightened the mood up for the both of them, side by side as they talked about how glorious Temmie Village was in it's prime. They made a swift exit back to their bus, arriving just before it's departure for their stop at the MTT hotel.

* * *

The debates kept going throughout the entire day, it was almost mind boggling what a bus full of enthusiastic humans could discuss! Their day had again ended at another hotel, though this one was by far more accommodating when it came to space... there were two beds for tonight! After asking more monsters and several humans on the subject, it turns out that trips to the underground were much more common than any of them expected. Though monsters rarely came down anymore, humans were the ones that kept the bus routes and the hotels going! There's at least a tour every two weeks, which is often enough to warrant the businesses remaining occupied. The further that they went underground, the more luxurious (and more expensive) the rooms had gotten. Tahoma looked at her wallet in dismay, she was going to be broke by the end of this trip! She had begun to wonder if the trip was even worth it... if it hadn't been for the letter, then the question would have been much easier to answer. Sure, she deeply cared for her friends... but money was a thing that she couldn't use frivolously. She checked her jacket pocket and felt the envelope between her fingers... the paper's crumpled surface reminded her of the interrogation that she would give to Dave later. It was another late night by the time they had arrived, so the building was only filled with a mixture of humble and obnoxious snores. The room next to them in particular was exceptionally loud, enough for Frisk to warrant the use of earplugs. She and Papyrus had decided to share the first bed, the queen size fit them both comfortably and with plenty of space for the skeletal monster to stretch. Tahoma's was a mere twin... but the personal space more than made up for the lack of surface area. A bedtime story read by Frisk later, the human was so deep asleep, not even the dead could tell if she was with the living.

Tahoma had waited a solid half hour for Papyrus to fully shut his eyes... but the monster was wasting her time. His eye sockets never shut, at least not for long. It was as if he was watching her... opening his eyes for a peek whenever she looked away; barely able to catch his stare when she turned back around. He pretended to sleep while Tahoma's patience waned, turning back and forth... even faking a snore! She was tired from today... emotionally speaking. Yet, she was also not willing to fall asleep before he did, not if she cared about his own sleeping sake. She had enough, walking over just to crouch down and look him straight in his closed eye sockets.

"... Pap, you're TERRIBLE at pretending! Why are you still awake?" He didn't seem to respond... did he actually fall asleep? Before she could return to her own mattress, her scalp felt the surprisingly warm hand scratch along it's surface. She became flustered fast... but didn't have the control to pull away. This felt so nice, it had been years since she was last pet! It was humiliating to her, how much she enjoyed a good scratch. She could do it herself! ...But there's something about another person doing it that just added to the magic. Before she could think about her next move, her eyes had closed and her consciousness along with it. Papyrus let out a quiet snicker while he rose from his position, picking up his friend and placing her under her covers.

"Nyeh heh heh, I really am a genius!" He fell back asleep under his covers, he truly did feel as smart as he claimed to be. Unbeknownst to the trio, the same group of students from before were listening in through a radio that they planted in the room. The dark woman sneaked it in right before they entered, interested in the ways of monsters. The sickly pale human also contributed, hacking into the surveillance system to watch how they interacted. The stuffy boy from before laid in his bed... he couldn't hide his curiosity as well as he hoped, but closed his eyes while his ears did the work. Their room was by far the largest... each student having their own bed to themselves. The television that they had to pleasure to own was also strictly theirs, the convenience served their espionage well. The hacker jotted down notes during the footage, as if their spying was part of a class project.

"Wowie! I can't believe that one other girl slept through that entire thing... it was so CUTE~ I wonder why skeletal monsters sleep though... I mean, they're SKELETONS! Does he just pretend to waste time? What do you think Alex?" The nerd of their group pondered for a moment, checking his phone to find that they still had no reception to the surface. From what he last checked, it was only when they were close enough to cavern openings that they had reception... and they were awfully far away from the nearest. He sighed while he contemplated, the brunette male shifting back and forth in his bed while covering his head with the pillow.

"Hmm, quite perplexing. From our current knowledge of monsters, they have similar sleep cycles to what we have. Some are nocturnal, while others are diurnal like we are. Monsters are primarily made up of magic, though they are also physical beings. They all require rest... so that must include that monster too. He must have a completely unique system of his own, fascinating."

"I don't understand what the big fucking deal is. If they're so much like us, then why spy on them? You guys are just wasting your time."

"Oh c'mon Fredrick, you gotta admit that this kills the boredom of the trip... well I don't find it boring in the least, but everyone else does. I mean think about it, these guys were trapped down here for centuries! Could you imagine going so long without sunlight? Without free space or good food or even solid internet? That would drive me crazy!" Alex agreed with his comrade's statement, continuing his notes while Fredrick merely shook his head. He twisted his body over and lifted his head, looking at the screen to see that they had indeed fallen asleep. It was weird to him... why the hell did they attract so much attention? To him, it didn't matter if they were humans or monsters. Everyone was an asshole that he had to deal with day by day, so what was the point of spending the time trying to figure out how they work?

"Marie, you're just obsessed with the skeleton. Why would you give more than two shits about those guys? We've already seen plenty of monsters! Go interview them and shut the hell uuuuuup, I wanna sleep!" The curly haired college student giggled at his frustration, watching as he turned away from them to finally fall asleep. She swiped the notebook Alex was writing on away to sneak a peak, finding that he noticed that their behavior was no different from their own. She let out a large, exasperated sigh while falling back onto her mattress. Interview, huh? Sounds like a good idea!

* * *

"...So, coming close to a week now, huh?" The bar was fairly empty that evening. The living embodiment of fire was busy cleaning his station, preparing for any new customers that could come in. Grillby was his name, and bar tending was a game that he's played for a long time. It wasn't long after the barrier had broken that he opened up his own bar... named after himself. It was a quaint size; larger than the Underground, but still considered small compared to his competitors. What he lacked in space he made up for with loyal customers, very few nights were as lonesome as this. There was a few monsters scattered on the tables and sitting at the bar, including Doggo. Poor Doggo had a hard time adapting to the surface... his peculiar kind of eyesight made it difficult to find a job that involved technology or anything not physical. He sat on the other end of both Sans and Dave, he removed his spiked collar to pet himself while taking another drink from his doggo bowl. Sans was tempted to grab the ketchup bottle... but with no distractions for Grillby, he didn't want to risk pissing his friend off by drinking it all. It wouldn't be the first time that he got kicked out early due to overindulging on the condiment.

"Yup. Playing by your standards, we leave tomorrow to find them... pretty sure where they went. Hope you can keep up, old geezer." He winked while taking a swig, Dave let out a snarl that most would conceive as aggressive, but Sans knew better. He hasn't been using the translator lately... primarily because the household was gone. Undyne and Alphys had already left for their tour, no promises of the couple returning any time soon. That only left Toriel as the other person around, and she could understand his language. He looked at San with his large golden eye, his left eye a light shade of grey.

"Huh, you really think so? 'Cause they ain't at no camp sights... Tahoma loves camping, but she woulda nagged me about it long before the trip took place. Well, that and I bothered to check, no trace of them anywhere that involves wildlife. I wanna guess that we have the same idea, but i'll let you be the one to tell me wrong." His disposition seemed much more relaxed and calm than most would be in his position. His daughter was missing, but he showed no signs of worriment. Sans hesitated before speaking his next sentence.

"...They went Underground. Doesn't shock me in the least... it is Frisk with them. She... she wasn't able to save someone, back when we were all freed. When she was a kid, she had a lot of nightmares about it... about him. Heh, the kid might be a highly praised student, but she isn't without her own regrets... what confuses me is why she brought Tahoma into it." Dave took a moment to respond, thinking deeply about his next answer.

"Huh, probably because she knows Tahoma... wouldn't shit-shock me if she brought her just because she could. Poor Pap probably invited himself without realizing it, eh? I'm interested to see just how far they got there... that is, if it's the Underground that they went into."

"I'm sure of it. If I know Frisk like I think I do, she went to go save that damn flower." It took a moment for Sans to realize his mistake, mentioning Flowey. He hoped that Dave wouldn't notice, but his mental request was quickly denied by Dave spitting out his drink.

"W*cough cough*, wait a fucking second. You don't mean THAT flower, do yah? ...The golden one?" His stare bore into San's skull, the skeleton could feel his right eye begin to glow by the sheer memory of the plant. If Dave was truly as old as he claimed to be, it was nearly inevitable that he would bump into Flowey at some point... but how would he remember him? Sans could vaguely recall Flowey through dreams and one or two sightings of him. He figured that the memories were of past experiences, before Flowey and Frisk reset the timelines. The fact that Sans could remember that angry flower's face was an anomaly of itself, but Dave too?

"...So you know of the flower. How?" His tone was as serious as it could be, keeping his vision on the small monster to his left. He scoffed while in angry remembrance, shaking his head back and forth as if to shake off the memory.

"How could you not of seen that bastard? He was a talking, glowing flower for fucks sake! That asshole tried to kill Tahoma, by making her trip into one of those large pits; back when she was just a young tike. I was barely able to catch her before she fell.. man did that sucker laugh! Needless to say, I stomped on his stupid face for a solid minute. He laughed again, taunting me as if I hadn't done anything! Said something strange... god, I remember because of how creepy he was. Said he was gonna 'reset' the timeline anyway, so what he did wouldn't matter. Next thing I know, I was back at our place with Tahoma in bed. Before we came up to the surface, I had seen him spying on us... and every single time, I drove him away by crushing his petals in. He disappeared after he got pissed off... last time he appeared, screamed at me that I was a freak for remembering him, then vanished. Why the hell would Frisk wanna save that bastard?" Sans could only stare in awe while he told his story, staring at him in disbelief. What he experienced wasn't possible... Flowey had the determination that allowed him to reset the timeline, before Frisk had fallen into their hell hole. Sans only knew because of his research... even then, he could only remember certain fragments. Yet, Dave could somehow remember with clarity? It was an impossibility, yet his statements say otherwise. He decided that it would be best to keep this information to himself for the time being... he liked Dave, found him to be a good friend of his, but he could only determine so much of what he said as truth before needing to look into this information himself.

"Heh, that's Frisk for yah. She felt guilty that he was the only... thing that couldn't leave on his own free will. Being a plant and all that, uprooting himself would probably kill him before he could find his freedom. I guess it's our job to make sure that they don't screw themselves over this... I ain't gonna lose Pap to that maniac." Sans could feel a slight panic growing within him just thinking about it... mentally kicking himself for not leaving sooner. If it wasn't for his new found respect for Dave, he would leave at that moment. Tomorrow would be the day that he went after them... he just had to be patient.

* * *

Author's Note: I had some difficulty typing out this last chapter... in particular the ending. I don't truly wish to make Dave an 'overpowered' character, but something about him makes me feel alright with how I portray him. I like Dave, and I have an odd suspicion that other people would like Dave too... I mean c'mon, who doesn't love a stuffed bear that yells out curses?

Also footnote, Temmie's speak makes my fingers bleed.


End file.
